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A week to remind us that football players are people too, and that the only dangers in their lives are not found on the field. Memphis quarterback Heath Shuler is lost to the season thanks to the senseless actions of a drunk driver as he is seriously injured in a DUI accident only hours after helping the Showboats to defeat the Chicago Machine in the Memphis home opener. While we all hope for a speedy recovery, Memphis now scrambles to deal with the loss for the season. On the field, big days for two often-maligned rushing attacks, and big rivalry games across the country, between New Jersey and Boston, Oakland and LA, Denver and Houston, Michigan and Ohio, and Washington and Philadelphia highlight a great week of action. We begin with the best game of the week, the showdown between the Panthers and Glory at Ohio Stadium. MICHIGAN 22 OHIO 20 A well-played week two game with a heartbreaking ending for more than 48,500 in The Horseshoe this weekend as Ohio’s last minute attempt to send their game with Michigan to overtime failed, sending the Glory to 1-1. Michigan raised their record to the same split with a strong effort on the road as the Panthers used a rotating back system to gain 198 yards on a weekend when the rushing game was the story for so many clubs. Michigan split carries between Ladell Betts (13 for 73), Fred Jackson (13 for 81), and rookie Leon Washington (6 for 41) as all three backs found success against Ohio’s defense. The Glory also ran the ball well, with Eddie George gaining 95 yards on only 16 carries, but with only 2 converted third downs from the Glory, drives were hard to sustain. Three turnovers did not help the Ohio cause any either, especially with Michigan avoiding the turnover bug entirely. The game started slowly, with a Matt Prater field goal for the Panthers the only score of the opening period. It got a lot more exciting in the 2nd quarter, all on one play, as Kerry Collins found Joey Galloway on a stop and go route. Galloway pulled away from the corner and the Michigan safety was slow to get over, resulting in a perfect 68-yard bomb for a TD. It would be the longest play of the game for Ohio, but only the first of three consecutive TD drives in the 2nd period. Michigan responded to Ohio’s score with one of their own as Drew Brees connected with the oft-disappoiniting Charles Rogers. Rogers, a top prospect in 2003, has never lived up to his potential, catching only 14 balls in 2004 and 9 in 2005, but he seems to have gotten out of the doghouse with Drew Brees on this Saturday afternoon, catching 5 balls for 109 and this go-ahead TD to put the Panthers up by 3. The lead would not be long-lasting, however, as Ohio again found a deep ball, and again it was Galloway, as Collins connected with his favorite target from 39-yards out to take a 14-10 lead, the third lead change of the first half. Galloway would finish the game without another catch, but those early scores had Ohio looking good. Michigan would take a final shot at the endzone, but in the end settle for a field goal as time ran out in the first half, with the score Ohio 14, Michigan 13. Michigan dominated most of the second half, but they could only add 9 points on three more Prater field goals. Despite their scoring woes, the flow of the game was definitely theres, with 2 second half picks of Collins and a failed 3rd and 2 run forcing a punt. By the 3-minute mark of the game, Michigan had an 8-point lead, 22-14, and Ohio needed a late drive and a 2-point PAT to send the game to overtime. They got the former, a 1:51 drive that saw rookie Santonio Holmes and TE Jermaine Wiggins come up with big catches and get out of bounds. Collins ended the drive with just under 1:30 left to play by connecting with HB Musa Smith on an 11-yard TD catch and run. The Glory would have to go for two to tie the game and send it into overtime. Ohio lined up at the 2-yard line, Collins took the snap from under center, backpedaled and quickly sent a laser towards a streaking slot receiver, Karsten Bailey, but the ball came in hot and low, and Bailey was unable to bring it in, leaving the Glory 2 points short. They would attempt the onside kick, but Michigan covered the ball and was able to wind down the clock to take a huge win in their opening division game of the season. WASHINGTON 33 PHILADELPHIA 20 Deuce McCallister went wild against the Stars’ defense as he helps Washington pull away, thanks to 214 yards rushing. McCallister had a 59 yard dash on the very first possession and continued to run strong all day as Washington held off the Stars. Safety Bob Sanders did his part as well, returning a pick for a score in the 2nd quarter as the Federals get a huge road win against Philadelphia. PITTSBURGH 6 BIRMINGHAM 14 Shaun Alexander was the focal point in this low-scoring affair as he turned 18 carries into 205 yards rushing and a score, finishing the day with an amazing 11.4 Yards Per Carry as the Stallions finally give Alexander the center piece in the offense. Terrell Davis had an amazing day as well as he rushed for 170 on 24 carries, both teams very content to grind out yards on the ground with their run games. The difference in the game was actually a Jason Campbell TD pass to James Thrash, but, of course, set up by play action. HOUSTON 26 DENVER 16 No 200-yard rusher in this one, just a really good rivalry game in the Southwest Division. Matt Leinart again played well, going 24 of 36 for 275, but was outdueled by veteran Matt Hasselbeck’s 22 of 29 day. Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell combined for 99 yards and 2 scores and Roy Williams caught the pull-away TD late in the game to give Houston the road win at Invesco Field. OAKLAND 30 LOS ANGELES 27 A great back and forth battle in LA as the California Derby came down to the final minutes. Trent Green threw for 282 and 2 scores while Cade McNown completed only 6 passes all day, though two of them were an 87-yard TD to Tory Holt and a 60-yarder to TE L. J. Smith. Oakland pulled out 30-20 in the 4th thanks to a TD from rookie WR Greg Jennings, and then held on as LA tried to rally in a very entertaining game. NEW JERSEY 21 BOSTON 19 This one came down to a 2-point PAT, just like the Panther-Glory game, and again the failed PAT meant defeat for the home team. New Jersey had a 21-13 lead when Chad Ochocinco scored with 9 minutes left to play. Boston could not convert and New Jersey held on for the final minutes to preserve the 2-point win. Tom Brady connected with Terry Glenn for 159 yards and two New Jersey TDs as the Generals open up their new rivalry with Boston with a road win. CHICAGO 21 MEMPHIS 31 In a game overshadowed by the horrible car accident later that night, Memphis got 228 yards rushing between Musa Smith (126) and Cadillac Williams (102) as Chicago’s defense seemed a pale shadow of 2005’s league best. Robert Ferguson added 8 receptions for 104 yards and a score as the Showboats opened at home with a big win, only to have unsettling news later that day. BALTIMORE 20 ARIZONA 17 The Blitz get a big road win thanks to a 4th quarter Roethlisberger to Kennison TD pass and a strong defensive stand in the final minutes. Ron Dayne rushes for 119 on this week of big HB performances, and Chuckie Nwokorie scores a safety as Baltimore just edges the Wranglers in their home opener at Valley of the Sun Stadium. ST LOUIS 13 TEXAS 26 The Outlaws double up the Skyhawks thanks to 102 yards from T. J. Duckett and 2 TDs from backup Marcel Shipp. St. Louis gets a strong run game going as well this week with Larry Johnson just missing the century mark at 99 yards and R.J. Redmond adding 51 yards on the ground. ATLANTA 10 LAS VEGAS 17 The Atlanta defense keeps them in this game, limiting Las Vegas to only 67 yards rushing, while Rod Smart rushes for an even 100, but the Thunder find a way to win, thanks to a Burris to Jason Dunn TD in the fourth quarter. Atlanta could not rally, in part due to a bit of sloppy play with 3 penalties called against them in their final drive, and the Thunder get a home win. JACKSONVILLE 16 ORLANDO 0 That Bulls’ defense is looking very tough as they blank the homestanding Renegades at the Citrus Bowl. Orlando could not get anything going, rushing for only 30 total yards, while Jacksonville accumulated 204 on the ground, thanks in large part to 104 from Antowain Smith. LB Lavar Arrington led the Bull D with 10 tackles (3 for a loss) and a sack. NEW ORLEANS 17 SEATTLE 31 The Dragons move to 2-0 in defense of their title as Byron Leftwich connects for 3 TD tosses and the combo of Dillon and Sproles runs for 169 yards on the day. Cedric Tillman had a good day for his new team, catching 6 for 103 for the Breakers, but it was not enough to overcome the Seattle Dragons on a misty day in the Pacific Northwest. TAMPA BAY 26 NASHVILLE 21 The Bandits roll to 2-0 while the Knights drop to a surprising 0-2 in Nashville. Willis McGahee kept the theme of big rushing days going with 151 on 24 attempts, while Frank Gore’s 115 yards were not enough to get Nashville the win. The Knights led 21-17 after three, but a Culpepper to Moss TD toss early in the 4th and a late safety of Todd Collins gave Tampa a 5-point victory. Heath Shuler Injured in DUI Accident Memphis Showboat QB and former league MVP Heath Shuler was severely injured in a multiple car accident just hours after helping the Showboats defeat the Chicago Machine. Shuler was driving to his home in suburban Memphis when his car was hit by a Ford F-150 at excessive speed. The driver of the truck was also injured, and, according to police reports, had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit. Shuler was taken to Methodist North Hospital in an ambulance, was seat belted, but the damage to the driver’s side of the car left the USFL quarterback with significant injuries. Initial reports are that Shuler suffered a broken hip, four broken ribs, a broken wrist, and had internal bleeding when he was taken in. Physicians have released a statement which seemed to indicate that while the injuries are not life-threatening, they are significant, and quite possibly career-ending. Shuler, a member of the Showboats since being drafted out of Tennessee in 1994, has played 12 seasons with the club. He led Memphis to the 2002 Summer Bowl where the club ran into the buzzsaw that was the undefeated Ohio Glory. He has been named to the All-USFL team on several occasions and currently holds pretty much every passing record of the organization. Earlier the day of the crash, Shuler had led the Showboats to a home upset over the favored Chicago Machine. He had remained behind at Liberty Bowl Stadium for his regular post-game physical therapy and cool-down, had apparently eaten in a downtown restaurant, and was heading home when the impaired driver ran a stop sign and hit the driver’s side of Shuler’s vehicle. While conveying their support for the injured QB, Memphis Showboat officials were hesitant to speak to the press about plans to move forward for the rest of the season, saying only that they will be assessing all options as they also work to provide Shuler with any help and support he may need during his long healing process. On Memphis’s roster there are two relatively young quarterbacks, former Tampa Bay backup Ken Dorsey, and last year’s signing from the NFL Detroit Lions, Mike McMahon. It is believed that McMahon will get the start this week, but neither Head Coach Jim Mora Sr. nor any front office personnel have been willing to speak to the QB position moving forward. At this point in the season, a trade is not out of the question, as there are few options available in free agency unless the Showboats can encourage either a retired player or a CFL free agent to join the roster. NFL rosters are currently frozen to the USFL until August, so there is no help available there. For now, the Showboats will look at their options and continue, as do we all, to hope for a full recovery for their quarterback of the past decade and a half. Just to prove that I am not being cruel to Shuler, I wanted to show you the actual screenshot that shows that the Draft Day Football game itself chose "car accident" as the cause of his injury, not me. I simply built a story around the circumstance the game gave me. Look Who’s Running Now It is rare that the USFL provides us a week when rushing and not the aerial attack is the main story. It is even rarer when we see a running back go over 200 yards in a USFL game. It is unheard of to have 2 halfbacks break the double-century in the same season, much less the same week, but that is what we had this week, with Washington’s Deuce McCallister topping out at 214 yards, and Birmingham’s Shaun Alexander only 9 yards back at 205. When you realize that in addition to these two amazing days, we also saw Willis McGahee add 151, Ricky Williams run for 150, Baltimore’s Ron Dayne with 119, Tiki Barber for 109, Antowain Smith hit 104, TJ Duckett 102, Rod Smart of Atlanta for an even 100, and both Cadillac Williams and Maurice Smith of Memphis top 100, you know something is up. Blame it on the expansion of the league, or on colder March weather making the run game more attractive, or just on bad tackling early in the season, but we witnessed a day like few others, with 11 different rushers topping the 100-yard mark, and 2 topping 200 yards. Expect a lot of teams to be practicing run blitzes, gap integrity, and containment over the next week. No way we don’t see a greater emphasis on the run defense after this week’s stampede. Fast Start, Slow Start We are going to play a little game we call Fast Start, Slow Start, in which we highlight a player who has gotten off to a much better first two games than anticipated, and then align that with another player who has had a rough go of the season’s opening duo of dates. We start with a clear and obvious choice for a fast start at QB. FAST START: Jake Plummer has been on fire these first two weeks, currently 3rd with a QB Rating of 127.4, ahead of players like Collins, Hasselbeck, Brady and Culpepper. He has already thrown for 544 yards and 4 TDs and his 67.4 completion rate is well above any season since 2002. SLOW START: Sorry to say, Birmingham, but Jason Campbell has not made a sophomore leap yet. He currently ranks last in the league with a 40.5 QBR, having completed only 23 of 60 passes with 1 TD and 3 picks. Now, that said, the Stallions were able to win this week, in large part due to their revived run game, but Campbell is going to have to do more if the Stallions are going to commit to him long term and win some games as well. FAST START: While this week had a plethora of backs breach 100 yards, so far this season Texas HB T.J. Duckett is the only one to rush for over 100 yards in each of his first two starts. With fans excited about the announcement that former Outlaw HB Reggie Cobb is a finalist for the Hall of Fame (See below), they have a new back to get excited about. Duckett is not a speed merchant, but his punishing style is working to keep the ball moving down the field. SLOW START: Denver’s Cedric Benson is clearly missing Rod Smart as a change of pace. The big guy has 45 carries this year, but has only turned that into 95 yards, a paltry 2.1 yards per carry as teams stuff the line and minimize his ability to bounce plays outside. Denver needs Benson to have a big year to help protect rookie QB Matt Leinart, but so far Benson is looking a step too slow to avoid hits, and is not plowing over defenders either. FAST START: Should we focus on Boston’s Joe Jurevicious or just say that the fact that the Cannons have the #1 and #2 receivers in yardage is amazing in itself? For us the fact that Jurevicious is leading the league with 200 yards on only 8 catches is astounding. Chad Ochocinco is only 2 yards back a 198, but the story so far has been Jurevicious, resigning with the team despite several free agent offers, now fully embracing the #2 role, and Bledsoe finding him so deep so often. SLOW START: New Jersey brought T. J. Houshmanzadeh to the squad with the hopes of creating a 1-2 punch similar to what we are seeing in Boston. While lead receiver Terry Glenn is doing fine, among the lead leaders in yardage, the same is not true for Housh, who has only 4 receptions for 40 yards in his first two games as a General. It does take time for a new player to adjust to his new QB and teammates, and we know that beginning USFL play in March after a full NFL season in the fall can be very disorienting and tough on the body, but more is expected of T.J.. FAST START: Linebackers who blitz are starting fast this year. We have Godfrey Miles in Seattle who is tied with KGB atop the sack list with 4, Ohio’s Glen Cadrez just 1 sack behind at 3, and then a bevvy of backers with 2 sacks, including Tommey Polly in Chicago, Al Wilson in Orlando, Lavar Arrington in Jacksonville, and Antonio Pierce, the NFL import to the Federals. SLOW START: Houston’s Osi Umenyiura has not only failed to secure a sack in the first two outings, he has barely had his name called, with only 4 tackles this season. Kavika Pittman is only 1 sack ahead, as the two have not gotten off to the kind of start the Gamblers were hoping for as a dominant defensive force. Of course, at 2-0, Houston is not panicking, but as the season moves along we will want to see if the pass rush can start to dominate the line as so many thought it would. FAST START: Washington’s Doug Pelfrey is having himself an opening month so far. He helped Washington win their opener, scoring all 15 of the Federals’ points with 5 opening day field goals. He followed that up with another 4 field goals this weekend. Nine big kicks out of nine attempts so far for the veteran in DC. SLOW START: Orlando’s Neil Rackers appears to have a case of the yips, having missed on 3 of his 4 kicks so far. Rackers, who left the Generals after the 2003 season to play in the NFL, returned to the USFL this March with the Renegades, but seems to have left his accuracy in the Fall. In this week’s bad 16-0 loss at home to the Bulls, Rackers missed on both of his kicks, after going 1-for-2 in Week 1. Not a great start, and exactly the kind of thing that might cause the ‘Gades to bring in another kicker for competition. Even excluding the shock of Heath Shuler’s injury off the field, this was a pretty rough week across the USFL for season-impacting injuries. More than 20 players were added to the injury report this week, with at least two potentially out for the season. Pittsburgh CB Kareem Larrimore has been placed on IR after suffering a hip injury, one that came with a hard to see dislocation. Michigan is hoping that they can keep Jeff Faine off IR, but his torn quad could take as much as 12 weeks to fully heal, so the center will miss most if not all of the season. In Philadelphia, HB Cedric Cobb is expected to miss up to two months with a back injury that involved a slipped disc. Texas OT Ryan Tucker will miss at least 6 weeks with a fracture in his right arm. In Houston they have determined that OT Mike Peterson’s neck injury is not season-ending, and does not involve any damage to the spine. He could be back in as little as 3 weeks. Atlanta LB Corey Miller will also miss 2-4 weeks with a wrist injury suffered this week. Promising Tampa Bay rookie DE Elvis Dumervill will miss at least 1-2 weeks with a partial abdominal tear, while in Boston, OT Jon Stinchcomb’s elbow will require at least that long to heal, though he may play with a brace in as little as 1-2 weeks. Among those with lesser injuries who are listed as doubtful we find LV wideout Troy Williamson, Michigan DE Leonard Little, Atlanta DE Chris Kelsay and Oakland guard Logan Mankins as the season has already started taking a toll on rosters across the league. HOF Nominees for 2006 Announced The USFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame released their semi-finalists for induction this week and once again it looks like a rough year for those in their 2nd or 3rd round of eligibility. Of the 11 nominees, only 2 are returning candidates and the new class of 2006 looks like one that could once more occupy all 5 final slots. In part the issue this year is that back in 2001 we saw 4 outstanding starting QBs hang up their cleats. Only two of the four made the cut for nominations this year, with Troy Aikman, Bobby Hebert in, while Scott Mitchell and Chris Chandler were left off the list, but the list of 2001 retirees does not stop there. In addition to the two quarterbacks, we have linebackers Kurt Gouveia and Johnny Holland, Corners Vencie Glenn and Eric Allen, HB Reggie Cobb, wideout Eric Metcalf, and DT Rollin Putzier. That pool left only room for two returning candidates, and those two slots were occupied by CB Chris Dishman and DT Jerry Ball. This lineup likely creates a series of 1v1 decisions at a lot of positions. Voters will naturally want to compare Putzier to Ball, Holland to Gouveia, Hebert to Aikman, and all three cornerbacks. It also tends to mean that skill position players see an edge simply because they have more statistics to review and more opportunities to have made highlight reel impressions on the voters. If we rank the candidates, based on their production, the game results they helped create, and their impact on the game, we see five names that jump off the page, making this perhaps a pretty quick voting process. QB Bobby Hebert (MGN 83-86, OAK 93-97, PHI 98-01): Almost a story of two careers, Hebert was one of the early stars created within the USFL. Leading the Michigan Panthers to league titles in the league’s second and fourth seasons, Hebert was the consummate gunslinger, able to escape pressure and fire off deep balls to HOF receiver Anthony Carter and Dereck Holloway. He left Michigan after only 4 seasons, lured to the NFL by a hefty contract, but returned with Oakland in 1993. He would have a second career in the USFL with the Invaders and Stars, and while his teams were not as good as the early Michigan squads, he built up an impressive record and set of stats over his 11 USFL seasons. He retired in 2001 with over 54,000 yards passing, 389 touchdowns to only 157 picks, and a lifetime QB Rating of 99.7. We believe Hebert is the most likely shoe-in in the group. QB Troy Aikman (TBY 89-00, NJ 01): If Hebert is the top choice of voters, Aikman cannot be far behind. The prolific passer who still holds the league record with 54 touchdowns in a legendary 1998 season, Aikman was forced out of the game due to concussions. Now a broadcaster, Aikman remains very much involved with the league. He came out of UCLA in the 1989 draft, chosen by the Bandits after a trade with the LA Express. He would go on to throw for 49,507 yards over 14 seasons, including 372 touchdowns to only 141 picks. He retired after only 2 games in New Jersey after suffering a devastating concussion. A 6-time All-USFL selection, Aikman was the USFL MVP in 1998, the same year he brought a title to Tampa Bay. LB Kurt Gouveia (DEN 1986-2001): A legend in the Mile High City, Gouveia played an astonishing 18 seasons at linebacker for the Gold. That is incredible longevity for that hard-nosed position on the field, but he also played at an incredibly high level. Gouveia was the 1988 Defensive Player of the Year in his third season, a 4 time All-USFL selection, and helped Denver capture the league title in his 17th season. He retired with over 1,300 tackles, 42 sacks, 13 picks, 60 forced fumbles and 21 recoveries. Gouveia remains linked to the Gold franchise, appearing often in the city of Denver and working with several local charities. WR Eric Metcalf (TEX 89-95, SEA 97-01): Thought of as a hybrid back/receiver coming out of college, the Texas Outlaws signed the young speedster and groomed him into a top flight wideout. He would play 6 seasons with the Outlaws before a brief 1-year stint in the NFL, returning to the USFL in 1996 with the expansion Dragons. A 6-time All-USFL player at wideout, Metcalf never got a shot at a title. Over his 12 USFL seasons he caught over 1,100 passes for more than 14,500 yards and 9 times reached the 1,000 yard mark in a year. HB Reggie Cobb (TEX 90-01): Never a big self-promoter, Reggie Cobb simply produced results for the Outlaws year in and year out. Playing on Outlaw teams that struggled to find playoff success, Cobb was consistent, rushing for 12,385 yards in 12 seasons, an average over 1,000 yards per year. His career YPC average was a strong 4.3 yards, and his 99 touchdowns are tantalizingly close to the century mark. If he fails to qualify in the first year, it is likely due more to the failures of the Outlaw teams than to his own performance. LB Johnny Holland (HOU 87-93, JAX 94-98, BOS 99-01): A hard-hitting linebacker, Johnny Holland could blitz the QB (49 sacks in his career), stuff the run (1,087 tackles) and drop into coverage (15 picks). He helped bring league titles to Houston in 1988 and 1992 as part of a dynamic defense led by Kiki DeAyala, a HOF linebacker from the same mold. Holland might suffer in comparison to DeAyala, though his later years in both Jacksonville and Boston will help to diversify his voting base. Never the flashiest of players, Holland is a player who shines in film analysis without producing a lot of highlight reel moments. He currently serves as the Secondary Coach for the Gamblers, the team that gave him his shot in pro football. CB/S Vencie Glenn (DEN 86-91, BIR 92, POR 93-01): A corner who converted to safety later in his career, Glenn has the strongest case among the three DB’s in this year’s group. His 49 picks is the highest number of the three, and his 624 tackles and 7 pick-sixes will help his case as well. Glenn is the only one of the three corners never to win a title, and there is something of a bias towards past champions in the Hall, so it is not a slam dunk by any measure. CB Chris Dishman (PHI 88-90, BIR 92-99): In his second year of eligibility, Dishman has more tackles than Glenn (which some see as a negative as it often means more completed passes against his coverage) and also has 7 defensive touchdowns. Dishman was known as a hard hitter at the position, forcing 12 fumbles in his 11 seasons. He was a 2-time All-USFL selection and heled the Stallions win the title in 1993. CB Eric Allen (TBY 88-98, CHI 99-01): Eric Allen may have the toughest case to make of the three corners. Having never played for a title winner and having been part of a Tampa Bay team known more for offense than defensive fortitude. His 1,254 tackles is impressive, but again, that can be interpreted as a problem as well. He is above Doleman, with 42 picks, and his 24 forced fumbles are the best of the group, but Allen was neer named to an All-USFL team, and that is a reality that will hurt his chances. DT Rollin Putzier (POR 88-93, TBY 94-01): Putzier is the first of the two DTs on our list, but we place these two interior defenders at the bottom of the rankings because they simply do not get the recognition or the statistical measurements that other positions garner. When we look at the total tackles of a player like Putzier (645), they do not compare well with linebackers or even some DBs. Retiring with 54 sacks is a very good number for a DT, but compared to defensive ends, it is barely noteworthy. But that is the nature of the position, to toil in relative obscurity, occupying blockers and making space for others to sack the QB or take on the ball carrier. If the HOF voters can look past the stats and look at impact, Putzier has a shot. DT Jerry Ball (LA-STL 87-00): In his second year as a nominee, Jerry Ball suffers from having been a very good player on some pretty mediocre Express and Knight teams. A five time All-USFL selection, Ball was known more for occupying blocks than making plays on the ball. His numbers are lower than Putzier’s in pretty much every measurable, but ask coaches and players who had to strategize for how to get around or past him and you will hear the respect folks around the USFL had for the big man. In our final analysis, we think Hebert, Aikman, and Gouveia are sure-fire first ballot entrants. Beyond that it could get messy for the remaining 2 spots. The odds are in favor of both Metcalf and Cobb, but neither has the type of stellar resume that yells “first ballot”, so there is room for Holland, Putzier, Ball and the three corners to have their cases heard. We should know the answers later this summer, as the HOF typically announces the next class of inductees somewhere in the later stages of the regular season. Rumors are that we will see our first look at Steve McNair as the Las Vegas QB when the Thunder take the field in Oakland to face the Invaders. Mike McMahon gets the unenviable task of stepping in for Heath Shuler with the Showboats visiting division rival Nashville. Another division game pits the LA Express against the 2-0 Dragons in Seattle. Pittsburgh visits Michigan in the Central Division, Arizona is in Houston in the Southwest and Atlanta faces off against Boston (the team formerly known as the Atlanta Fire before relocating.) But, despite all these intriguing matchups, the big game this week is undoubtedly Sunday Night’s headliner between the Bandits and Bulls. The game will be live on ESPN from Alltell Stadium and the league is hoping for big numbers as these two Florida rivals clash. Other games this week include Texas @ Ohio, New Orleans @ Birmingham, Pittsburgh @ Michigan, Baltimore @ New Jersey in a divisional tilt, Orlando @ St. Louis, Chicago travleling to Washington to face the 2-0 Federals, and Denver plays host to the Philadelphia Stars.

We open the season with anticipation, excitement, and a lot of high hopes. Two new expansion teams held their home openers, bringing football back to Atlanta and St. Louis after a short but painful absence. The Breakers, beginning to heal after Katrina, play their first home game in temporary housing, hosting Nashville in Birmingham. The defending champs try to keep the magic going against the expansion Skyhawks, and the two top seeds from last year's playoffs, Chicago and Houston, face off in a Week 1 showdown. But we start with the best game of the week, a defensive struggle that saw three of the league's top rookies in action for their new clubs. DENVER GOLD 15 LAS VEGAS THUNDER 14 The game of the week saw the debut of rookie QB Matt Leinart as well as two top rookie defenders in Las Vegas’s Haloti Ngata and A.J. Hawk. And while the defenses for both teams got the better of the day overall, Leinart did what was needed to pull out the W for the visiting Gold in front of a hostile Thunder crowd. Leinart’s numbers were not astronomical, but they were not horrendous either: 21 of 33 passing for 187 yards, both Denver touchdowns and only 1 pick. These numbers were almost identical to Las Vegas QB Henry Burris’s 16 of 32 for 119, 2 Tds and a pick as both teams dealt with a cold NW wind in the desert and two pretty solid defenses. Neither team fared well on the ground, with Cedric Benson leading all rushers with only 38 yards, while Las Vegas saw Julius Jones and Dominic Rhodes combine for only 28. If there was a star on the day it was Denver TE Lonnie Johnson,who caught 6 balls from Leinart for 75 yards, but honestly, this was more a war of attrition than of big plays or star performers. Denver had a good opening drive, with scripted plays for Leinart leading to an opening TD on a 5-yard TD run from newly acquired change-of-pace back Ahmad Galloway. Las Vegas would equalize the score in the 2nd quarter when Burris hit his TE, Christian Fauria with a short goalline toss on a 3rd and goal. And that is the way it would go into the half, with both defenses looking a little more coordinated and prepared than the offenses, not unusual for Week 1. Both teams also had penalty issues, also not unexpected, with each committing 7 penalties on the day in a somewhat typical first week development. Denver had a promising drive midway through the third quarter, but an end zone interception by Las Vegas safety Sean Jones spoiled the fun. Problem is Jones stepped out of the end zone trying to control the ball, and that led to Las Vegas taking over on their own 1 instead of the 20. On their very first play, Henry Burris was snagged in the backfield by a blitzing Dat Nguyen and Denver took a 9-7 lead. The Gold would not advance the ball on the post-safety drive, and Las Vegas got their legs under them on their next possession. Burris had his best drive of the game, completing 5 of 7 passes, including a 4-yard TD toss to his other tight end Jason Dunn. The Thunder were making the home opener crowd happy, up 14-9 after 3 quarters. That lead held until late in the final period, when Matt Leinart led the game winning drive in the final four minutes. It was not a smooth drive, and likely would not have resulted in points had it not been for a defensive holding call on a 3rd and 12 that gave Denver a first down when needed. But, in the end. Leinart found slot receiver Kassim Osgood for the game-winning TD just at the 2-minute warning. The 2-point play, a scramble that led to an incomplete pass to Peerless Price, failed, and Denver clung to a slim 1-point lead, 15-14 with a full 2 minutes to play. Las Vegas took the kickoff for a touchback, and started their drive at the 25, but Burris was unable to connect with Matthew Hatchette on 3rd and 6, leading to a 4th down try from their own 33. Burris targeted Troy Williamson in the slot, but safety Dexter Jackson was there to get a hand into Williamson’s grasp of the ball and swat it away. Two kneel-downs later and Denver had escaped with a one-point victory. The first win of what Gold fans hope will be many for their rookie QB, and a good showing from two defenses that are generally considered the keys to success for both teams this season. CHICAGO 3 HOUSTON 24 The 2006 season kicked off on Friday Night with what many thought would be last year’s Summer Bowl Matchup as the two #1 seeds from 2005 went head to head at NRG Stadium. Houston put up the first 24 points of the game as Chicago looked shaky all game long. The Machine were sloppy and penalty-prone (9 on the day), while Houston looked efficient, especially QB Matt Hasselbeck, who completed 21 of 28 and threw for 3 scores. SEATTLE 22 ST. LOUIS 14 The defending champs were the visitors as St. Louis welcomed USFL football back to the Gateway City. A boisterous crowd of over 51,000 greeted the teams to the Dome and helped buoy the spirits of the ‘Hawks as they fell down 19-0 before recording their first TD in franchise history. Quincy Carter hit Taylor Jacobs to get the home team on the board, but the game was well in hand for Seattle, who saw Corey Dillon start off strong with a 99-yard day. PITTSBURGH 24 OHIO 26 A solid debut for Coach Rivera in Pittsburgh as the Maulers held their own with the Ohio Glory on a blustery March day in Columbus. Charlie Batch threw 3 touchdowns, but a huge day from Eddie George kept Ohio on the winning end of the scoreboard as the veteran back accounted for 216 of Ohio’s 420 yards of offense. Rookie Santonio Holmes was held to only 1 reception for 10 yards in his Glory debut, but George and the home town Glory prevailed in the end. ORLANDO 10 WASHINGTON 15 A defensive struggle for the ‘Gades and ‘Feds as rainy conditions in DC made this one a bit of a slog. The Federals won the game on 5 Doug Pelfrey field goals as both teams struggled to mount much offensively. The only TD of the day was a 1-yard Anthony Davis run after a Kordell Stewart fumble gave Orlando the ball deep in DC territory. A bit of an ugly game all around, as neither team handled the conditions well. NASHVILLE 13 NEW ORLEANS 34 A warm but smallish crowd of 33,102 welcomed the Breakers to their first home-away-from-home in Birmingham, and the Breakers responded to the support by throttling the Southern Division favorites, Nashville. Eli Manning threw for 244 and 2 scores, and Troy Davis rushed for 75 as New Orleans played inspired football in their post-Katrina opener. MICHIGAN 13 PHILADELPHIA 23 Rain and wind also an issue in Philly as two teams with a lot of promise faced off on opening weekend. Michigan committed 5 turnovers, including 3 picks of Drew Brees as the Philadelphia defense (and the weather) wreaked havoc on the Panther passing game. Ahman Green was held to only 60 yards, but the Stars pulled out a win by protecting the ball. BIRMINGHAM 3 OAKLAND 18 The Invaders looked solid on defense, or perhaps Birmingham’s offense is the concern we thought it could be, as Oakland picked off Jason Campbell three times and limited Shaun Alexander to only 37 yards rushing. New Stallion Marion Barber actually provided the only spark for the Stallions, rushing for 33 yards on his 7 carries, while Oakland’s Justin Fargas had a big day. Despite Ricky Williams getting the lion’s shar of carries (22 to Fargas’s 7), Fargas was the game’s leading rusher with 82 yards. ARIZONA 27 ATLANTA 13 The Fire opened to an enthusiastic 41,020 in the Georgia Dome, but struggled to contain Arizona’s Duce Staley, who averaged 6.3 yards per carry on his way to 101 yards rushing, a good sign for Arizona’s often criticized run game. Jake Plummer added 237 in the air and TD tosses to TE Matt Cushing and WR Thabiti Davis as the Wranglers built up a 27-6 lead before a late Lewis to Reed TD gave Atlanta their first franchise TD. BOSTON 34 BALTIMORE 11 A rough debut for the 2006 Blitz as neither the rain, wind, or secondary for Baltimore seemed to phase Drew Bledsoe. Boston’s QB was barely pressured all game and that led to 425 yards passing on the day. Add in 86 on the ground for HB Tiki Barber and 2 costly Balltimore turnovers and it was an easy 23 point win for the Cannons. JACKSONVILLE 10 NEW JERSEY 17 A solid debut for both clubs, but three Bulls turnovers helped New Jersey earn the home opening win in front of 54,311 at Giants Stadium. Antowain Smith fumbled twice, and a third from TE Tim Euhus, and that was enough to give New Jersey short scoring drives of 33 and 47 yards. James Jackson and Anthony Becht got the scores while Curtis Enis won Offensive POTG for his 20 carry, 82 yard day. LB James Harrison forced one fumble and recovered another to win Defensive POTG. TAMPA BAY 34 MEMPHIS 13 The Tampa Bay offense looked to be in midseason form as they ripped through the Showboats, aided by two Memphis turnovers. McGahee rushed for 62 yards and a score, while Chris Doering and Randy Moss combined for 168 through the air. DE John Copeland had the play of the game for the Bandits, sacking Heath Shuler on the 11, and then picking up the ball and running it back for the score. LOS ANGELES 24 TEXAS 12 The Express got a late Tory Holt TD reception to pull away from Texas in what had been a nick and tuck game through three quarters. Texas got a strong opener from HB T.J. Duckett, rushing for a league-best 110 yards on 23 carries, but In the end Cade McNown, who threw only 17 passes on the day, connected with Holt from 15 yards out to give LA a 12 point lead and the eventual win. Rookie Maurice Jones-Drew ended the game with 1 more carry than veteran DeShaun Foster, and his 33 yards added with Foster’s 58 helped LA stay ahead in a game defined by the run games of both teams. New Outlaws Lawyer Molloy and T.J. Slaughter led the Outlaws with 7 tackles apiece. Breakers’ Feel Good Win It certainly was anything but a typical home opener for the Breakers this week as they started off their 2006 campaign with a “home away from home” game at Legion Field. The crowd of just over 33,000 was about 2/3 Breaker fans with a healthy dose of folks down from Nashville as well, but the spirit in the stadium was overwhelmingly supportive of the Breakers and the city of New Orleans. There was a bit more pomp and circumstance than at a typical USFL game, with plenty of reminders about how to donate to the USFL Cares campaign, just as many saw on their TVs during all USFL broadcasts this week. There were a few celebrities on hand from NOLA native Aaron Neville opening the game with “God Bless, America” to Tyler Perry hobnobbing with fans on the concourse. And there was certainly a lot of emotion on the sidelines as well, emotion that helped carry the Breakers to a surprisingly one-sided victory over the Knights. Eli Manning was joined after the game by his famous brother, Peyton, and his dad, Archie as the whole family thanked the crowd and shook hands in post-game. It was a good feeling for the league, and the team, on what is certainly just the start of a long journey back. St. Louis & Atlanta Welcome Back USFL Football The Breaker game was not the only special event on the weekend as both Atlanta and St. Louis welcomed the league back with big crowds and extra fanfare. In Atlanta, the B-52’s were on hand for a halftime show that had folks dancing in the aisles, while over 50,000 fans, most decked out in navy and royal blue, welcomed the Skyhawks to town, with a chant I think we will all be hearing this entire season, a rowdy “Ka-Kaw” chant that started in one fan section and just caught fire as the game went on. It is an odd phenomenon to see the return of football to these two cities after only a few years absence, cities that many considered tough markets to crack, but which seem to have taken to heart how special it is to have football year round. Both the Fire and the Skyhawks will have growing pains this season, but if this opening week is any indication, the support is their to maintain these clubs as they develop and grow. Both clubs also begin with much better conditions than in 1992 (St. Louis) or 1995 (Atlanta). For one, the stadium situation is much improved for both. When St. Louis started in 1992, the dome was not yet complete, and they competed with the Cardinals for dates in a busy spring schedule. For Atlanta, the choice of Bobby Dowd Stadium at Georgia Tech meant the facility was largely theirs, but hot humid summers in Atlanta do not mesh well with daytime football. Playing in the climate-controlled Georgia Dome may not seem like such a big deal now, in moderate March, but come June fans will be plenty happy to not be dealing with Atlanta’s notorious muggy climate. Both teams also seem to have learned some lessons from the first time around, using a variety of resources and media to build more outreach to the community, to fan groups, and to local businesses. Financially both ownership groups appear to be a lot more stable than in the earlier iterations of each city’s USFL past, and while the rosters may not be as star-studded as some other USFL squads, a combination of solid pros and players with local connections helps to build a connection with the community. A good start overall to a new era in both cities. Rookie First Impressions Speaking of good starts, we love to look at the rookie class after the first week of the year and see who may have started off making a strong first impression. While a lot of rookies are just dipping their toes into the pro game this week, there were a few who were thrown into the deep end of the pool as starters right out of the gate. How did those few starting newbies do? QB Matt Leinart (DEN): Leinart got the start in his first game, as many expected, and fared well enough to get Denver a W on the road. His numbers were not great, but he showed poise under pressure and delivered on a final drive that gave Denver the lead and the win. His longest pass of the day was a 54-yarder to TE Lonnie Johnson (that was actually about 11 yards in the air and the rest Johnson’s legs). But he also connected on some nice outside routes to Price and Stokes, as well as the occasional effective dump down to Ahmad Galloway or one of his tight ends. Overall a solid premier. No running backs were designated as lead backs or starters in this opening week, but that did not keep some from getting their hands on the ball. The best day was had by LA’s Maurice Jones-Drew, who split carries with veteran DeShaun Foster and finishd the day with 14 carries, 33 yards and one reception for a nice chunk of 28 yards. Michigan’s Leon Washington got his first USFL carry, a 5-yarder in the 4th quarter, and was targeted once in the passing game in the only other rookie appearance at the position. Among receivers, we saw Santonio Holmes make his first catch in Ohio. Texas rookie Marques Colston did him a little better, ending the day with 3 catches for 36 yards, and Orlando’s Brandon Marshall topped that with 5 receptions on 7 targets for a totl of 39 yards. Orlando’s Greg Jennings had 2 catches for 33 yards, and Chicago TE Anthony Fasano finished his first day in the pros with 4 catches for 50 yards. On defense, the biggest premier was that of Philadelphia’s new corner, Antonio Cromartie, who racked up 6 tackles, a pick, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, for quite an impressive debut. Birmingham’s DeMeco Ryans started and landed 4 tackles in his debut game, while New Jersey’s Tamba Hali recorded his first pro sack. As we get into the season, we will see more names appear in the box scores and more first year players get their spring football legs under them, but for now, any chance to get on the field is a good chance for these young players. A rough first week across the league as three defenders are looking at potential IR classification, meaning their seasons could be over just as they began. Several others are looking at multiple weeks on the sideline after suffering injuries during the first week of regular season action. The three most significant injuries were all suffered by defensive players on the interior, with Birmingham DT Ryan Sims suffering a broken leg, with some ligament damage, which is expected to require he be placed on IR for the remainder of the year. In Memphis, 2nd year MLB Kirk Morrison could also be done for the year after suffering 2 broken ribs and a partial abdominal tear. A return in 8-12 weeks seems to be the current guidance, so Morrison has not yet been placed on IR, but the Showboats may have to make the move in order to fill his spot on the roster unless they can identify a player to shift to the practice squad. Finally, La’Roi Glover, a key cog in the Ohio defensive line, is also expected to miss as much as 12 weeks with a partial ACL tear. That is not good news for a Glory team that was hoping to see their defense take a step up this year. Others who could be out at least 1-3 weeks include Oakland strong safety Pearson Prioleau (wrist) who is expected to miss no less than 3 weeks, perhaps as many as 6. Boston tackle Stockar McDougle and Texas LB Kailee Wong are both listed as out for Week 2, and both with hamstring injuries. Jacksonville DE Kenny Mixon is also out for next week’s game, in his case with a hip injury. On the Doubtful list we find Baltimore rookie LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson, with a shoulder issue, Las Vegas DE Hugh Douglas, with a hip pointer, Michigan WR Laverneous Coles, with knee inflammation , and Memphis WR Lee Evans, due to a shoulder. One more receiver, who was upgraded from Doubtful to Questionable on Thursday, is Chicago’s Donald Driver, who has a deep bruise on his left foot. Season Ticket Sales Strong Week one brings us to the annual review of season ticket sales, and the news for 2006 is very solid. 24 of 26 teams met or exceeded their 2005 totals, with Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Denver, Ohio, Seattle, and New Jersey leading the league, each with over 38,000 season tickets sold. Teams with the largest increase from 2005 include the Dragons (up 7%), Oakland (up 8.5%), and Philadelphia (9.1%). Of course, some franchises have maxed out their season ticket sales for several years, and have waiting lists for season tickets, so it is not always fair to look at annual increases. Only two teams saw a decrease in season ticket sales of more than 1% from 2005. The first is fully explicable, with the New Orleans Breakers playing away from the Super Dome and not truly offering a season ticket package. The asterisk next to their numbers is entirely understandable, though we should say that with over 17,000 tickets sold for the 4-game package in Portland, the “Portland” Breakers are already doing better than anticipated as far as sales for their 2nd half season package. The other team with a dip in ticket sales is Pittsburgh, which saw a 5.4% drop in season ticket sales from 2005. That too is somewhat understandable as the Maulers entered the 2005 season with visions of a playoff run, but finished quite poorly. This year the optimism is not there yet as Ron Rivera is overhauling the culture and roster of the team, so a dip in season ticket sales is not unexpected. Special kudos to both Birmingham and Orlando, who, despite poor teams over the past few years, continue to have strong fan support and wait lists for season passes at both Legion Field and the Florida Citrus Bowl. The two smallest stadia, Las Vegas’s Sam Boyd Stadium and Boston’s Alumni Field have placed those two franchises at the bottom of the season ticket sales (excluding New Orleans this year, of course), with 21,302 sold in Las Vegas and 22,432 in Boston, however, as a percentage of seats available the numbers for both clubs is comparable to many clubs in the middle of the pack, such as Chicago, Baltimore, Texas, and Arizona, who have larger capacities to fill and therefore have more packages available. One final note, in their first year as expansion teams, we should note that both St. Louis and Atlanta have higher season ticket sales this year than in their last season with their prior franchises, both in 2002. In fact, Atlanta’s 2006 ticket sales are the highest count in the city’s USFL history, perhaps due to the more hospitable confines of the Georgia Dome. St. Louis’s current sales of 30,100 season ticket packages is just slightly below the first year of the Knights at the Dome at America’s Center back in 1996, when the expanded capacity from Busch Stadium (and the lack of the Rams as a competitor) allowed the Knights to sell just over 32,000 season ticket packages that year. A strong indicator that the USFL remains a priority purchase for fans across the country, and with ticket prices for USFL game still averaging only about 61.5% of the cost of a comparable NFL package (due in part, but not entirely, to the 14-game schedule as opposed to 16 games) the USFL remains one of the hottest tickets in the pro sports marketplace. Arizona to Christen New Stadium in Week 2 The Arizona Wranglers began the season on the road this week, but now return to Phoenix and to a brand new home in Glendale. The new retractable-roof stadium, recently christened “Valley Of the Sun Stadium” will open for its first professional game this Saturday as the Wranglers hold their home opener. With the temperature at the noon (Pacific Time) expected to be a pleasant 82 degrees, the stadium is expected to have its roof open and the field, which has been tended outside of the stadium, will be rolled in for the game on Friday. Valley of the Sun Stadium, a name which is expected to last only through the 2006 NFL season in the fall, as the Stadium Authority reviews bids for naming rights, is a marvel of engineering, both for its sectional retractable roof, but also for its mobile turf surface. The football field for both the Wranglers and Cardinals spends most of the year outdoors, allowing the concrete floor of the stadium to be converted into seating for large concerts, or to a sand pit for monster truck shows or the state’s rodeo. The field gets the advantage of the constant natural light, which means no turf in Glendale, only real grass. But, if the stadium is not in use, there is the option of retracting the field back indoors if scorching summer temperatures were to threaten it, essentially allowing the field to benefit from partial sunlight without the scorching heat of mid-summer afternoons. Of course, the stadium is also a huge leap up from Sun Devil Stadium for the fans as well. No more 110 degree days on hot plastic seats. Any time the temperature is over 85 degrees the stadium roof will be closed and the climate cooled to a comfortable 72-75 degree range, meaning that there will be no more Wrangler games profoundly impacted by summer heat. It also means that the Wranglers can now play host to a Summer Bowl, something that has been avoided since the league began in 1983 out of both health and quality of play concerns. Arizona is scheduled to host the Summer Bowl in 2007, but this week the Wrangler fans have the stadium all to themselves as they host the Baltimore Blitz. We take a look at our Week 2 schedule, recognizing that unlike past years when weeks were often defined by entire divisions, if not entire conferences, engaging in internal battles, while this year we are going to see a mix of divisional, inter-divisional, and inter-conference games each week. Week 2 is no exception, with some very interesting divisional matchups at the top of our “Must Watch” list, but plenty of other interesting matchups as well. Here is the Week 2 lineup. FRIDAY, March 24: New Jersey @ Boston provides the first divisional rivalry game between these two big baseball rival cities. The Generals and Cannons face off in a Friday night NBC game that is sure to have the I-95 corridor abuzz. SATURDAY, March 25: Six games on a busy Saturday, headlined by the ESPN Saturday Night game featuring the Michigan Panthers at Ohio in an early Central Division clash. Other action on the day includes Chicago @ Memphis, Pittsburgh @ Birmingham, Baltimore @ Arizona, and New Orleans @ Seattle. The other big headliner on the day is in Florida where the Bulls visit the Renegades in an in-state rivalry match. SUNDAY, March 26 has some great afternoon games, including the Bandits at the Knights, the Skyhawks in San Antonio to face the Outlaws, the Fire in Las Vegas to play the Thunder, the Gamblers facing off against the Gold in Denver, a big NE Clash as the Stars host the Federals, and a West Coast nightcap on ESPN as the Invaders visit the Express in an early season test for the two 1-0 squads from California. Lots of great action, lots of storylines to follow.

We’ve looked at the Draft, surveyed the late free agent and NFL signings, and talked about the top stories to follow, so it is time to start surveying the field and our picks for the teams that are on their way up. We start with our predictions, always to be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism, for how we see the six divisions of the USFL sorting themselves out. We will then provide you with our club by club analysis before making our picks for Summer Bowl 2006 in Philadelphia. BOSTON 10-4* Boston makes an instant impression, and instant rivalries. PHILADELPHIA 9-5* The Stars are poised to challenge for a title. BALTIMORE 7-7* The Blitz continue to improve, but this is a tough division. NEW JERSEY 7-7 The Generals should win 10 games, but somehow they won’t. WASHINGTON 6-9 From first to worst, but this is the NE, so it is totally possible. We start with the Northeast, perhaps the most balanced, and most competitive, division in the league. All 5 teams in this division, with the addition of Boston from the Southeast, were above .500 last season, with Washington making the move from 4th to 1st on Week 14. This year we think the added burden of playing an 8-game divisional schedule will lead to more losses and a greater disparity. And, yes, we are picking the 2005 champion to finish last. But, in all honesty, you could flip the list of teams upside down and make an equally plausible case that it is just as valid a prediction. The addition of Boston makes this division even tougher, as you are now dealing with 5 teams, all with high quality, settled QB positions, and all with something they can hang their hats on. So, this is the one division where anything could happen. TAMPA BAY 13-3* Without Boston here, it comes down to the Bandits & Bulls JACKSONVILLE 10-4* The Bulls sweep Orlando & Atlanta to get to 10 wins. ORLANDO 6-8 Too many questions to pick them for .500 or better. ATLANTA 3-10 A better team than the 1995 version, but that is not enough. Trading Boston for an expansion Atlanta Fire club must feel like a late Christmas present for the other three teams in the division. While we think this Atlanta squad is better than the one that took the field in 1995, that is not saying much. They will struggle this year, as we think Orlando could as well. That leaves the division as a race between the Bandits and Bulls. Tampa Bay is the safer choice as they simply have more answers on both sides of the ball. We are still not sold on the Bulls’ offense, whereas Tampa has one of the league’s better combinations of deep ball and consistent run game. We take the Bandits to win the Division and capture the overall #1 seed in the East. NASHVILLE 10-5* Frank Gore gets even better, and so do the Knights. MEMPHIS 7-7 We have the Showboats getting to .500 but not the playoffs. NEW ORLEANS 5-11 This season will be an odyssey for the Breakers. BIRMINGHAM 4-10 A "must improve" season for Capbell and Franchione. The move from the Western Conference to the East does not really provide much benefit to these four clubs. With 6 inter-divisional games, many teams face tough competition playing the clubs of the Northeast and Southeast compared to the Southwest and Pacific Divisions. We think that will suppress wins for many of the Southern clubs, and we should recall that the South was a pretty mediocre group last year, barely getting any teams over .500. We see a bit more quality out of Nashville and Memphis this year, but it will be a huge struggle for New Orleans dealing with all the movement and uncertainty this season will have for them, and Birmingham still has a long way to go to become a contender again. OHIO 11-3* We pick the Glory O to edge the Machine D. CHICAGO 10-4* You cannot have a weak secondary in this division. MICHIGAN 8-6* A Wild Card, but a dangerous out. 2006’s Seattle Dragons? PITTSBURGH 6-8 A better D than in 2005, but not yet good enough. ST. LOUIS 3-13 In this division, 3 wins seems an achievement. The Central Division is going to be very top heavy this year. It is feasible that Ohio, Chicago, and Michigan all finish with 10 or more wins, though we have not predicted that here. Pitsburgh should improve under coach Ron Rivera, but still seem unlikely to return to playoff form in this tough division. St. Louis is just hoping to eke out a win or two within the division and then get some luck in their 6 non-division games. We see Chicago having taken a step back, due largely to defections from their secondary, and that is enough for us to put Ohio on top. HOUSTON 11-3* Another top seed is definitely a possibility for the Gamblers. ARIZONA 9-5* A healthy Plummer and a rebound to ’04 style. DENVER 7-7 A QB transition is never easy, but Leinart shows signs. TEXAS 6-8 A nice step in the right direction for a team that has hit bottom Last season Houston surprised many by not only taking over the division, but by winning the overall #1 seed. We see them doing it again this year as they clearly have the best defense in the division and an improving offense. Arizona took a dive last year, largely due to the injury that cost Jake Plummer much of the season, but also due to a complete defensive collapse. We see this year as a chance for Coach Fassel to rally the troops and return to the form of 2004, when they took the division crown. Denver is in transition with a rookie QB, and Texas should be much improved, especially on defense, so this is another division where we could be way off base, at least in the 2nd-4th positions. SEATTLE 10-4* Is Seattle’s playoff run a sign of lasting quality? OAKLAND 8-6 Oakland is again 8-6, but this time that is not enough. LOS ANGELES 7-7 Coach Jackson will need time to rebuild this club's culture. LAS VEGAS 6-8 We could see the Thunder win 8 games, but also 4. The Pacific is always so hard to predict. It seems like every year a different team rises out of nowhere to claim the title while our preseason favorite collapses. Seattle shocked the world last year going from 6-8 to a league title, but we still think they are the deepest roster and the one most likely to take the title. Oakland improved to 8-6 last year, but their offseason did not seem to build on that success, so we have them stagnating. LA is a crapshoot. With Hue Jackson at the helm, we think it will take some time for this club to gel and find an identity, so we think 7-7 is about right. We are intrigued by what Las Vegas is doing under Coach Glanville, and we recognize that he did have success building a winner as a coach in Tampa Bay, but he is so volatile and unpredictable that it is hard to make a prediction on whether the Thunder will show marked improvement or will fall apart. We like the presence of Steve McNair after years of confusion at QB with the Thunder, but is that enough? We have looked at each division, and later on we will make our picks for the Summer Bowl, but we continue our look at the upcoming 2006 season with our team-by-team breakdowns. We will try to give you our assessment of the players to watch, and the key factor for each club that will determine success or failure this season. BOSTON CANNONS 9-5 in 2005 HEAD COACH: John Fox (5th Season) STADIUM: Alumni Stadium @ Boston College (44,500) TOP 5 PLAYERS: QB Drew Bledsoe, WR Chad Ochocinco, HB Tiki Barber, LB London Fletcher, DT Casey Hampton. BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: DT John McCargo. The rookie DT from NC State could be a major factor in the success or failure of the Boston defense as the club moves into the very competitive NE Division. McCargo’s role will be to occupy blockers so that Greg Ellis and Jason Babin can get to the likes of Warner, Brady, Roethlisberger and Kordell Stewart. He will also be key to freeing up the LBs to pursue the run. If the rookie can have success in the interior line, the entire Cannon defense could benefit. OUTLOOK: We like Boston to take the division by storm. They have more offensive firepower than the other NE Clubs, and their defense is underrated. Their Big 3 at QB-HB-WR are as good as they get, but we are concerned that Drew Bledsoe seems to be getting less mobile, and more susceptible to pressure as he moves into the latter stages of his career. Should something happen to the big guy, the team would fall to untested Adrian McPherson, and that would likely be the end of any playoff run. So, the key is to use Tike Barber to keep defenses honest, and to protect Bledsoe from big hits. If Boston can do that, they can take the division. PHILADELPHIA STARS 9-5 in 2005 COACH: Jim Harbaugh (2nd Season) STADIUM: Lincoln Financial Field (67,594) TOP 5 PLAYERS: QB Kurt Warner, HB Ahman Green, G Ruben Brown, DT Seth Payne, DE Regan Upshaw BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: DE Robert Mathis. With offenses having to account for Regan Upshaw on the left side, Mathis is able to see a lot of single blocks on the righ, and last year that translated into his first 10+ sack season. We see more for him this year. Depending on how teams try to deal with a pass rushing duo, Mathis could overtake Upshaw in sacks, but the reality is that in most cases it will be the blocking scheme that determines which powerful and speedy edge rusher gets to the QB first. OUTLOOK: The signing of Kurt Warner and the acquisition of Ahman Green last year took the Stars from a tough out to a potential Summer Bowl favorite. They have a defense that flies to the ball and can pressure the QB, but now they also have an offense that can beat you all on their own. Warner seems to have returned to the form he showed as a St. Louis Ram, forgetting the rough years with the Giants. Green provides the perfect workhorse attitude that allows Warner to use his pinpoint accuracy in a play action strategy that is tough to combat. We see Philadelphia as an early favorite to win it all, even if they may not win this very tough division. BALTIMORE BLITZ 9-5 in 2005 COACH: Tom Coughlin (4th season) STADIUM: M&T Bank Stadium (71,008) TOP 5 PLAYERS: QB Ben Roethlisberger, HB Ron Dayne, SS Adam Archuleta, LB James Farrior, FS Marquez Pope BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: Local media and fans have become fans of the former basketball player turned TE, Antonio Gates, and we think 2006 is when the nation will take notice. Gates has an uncanny ability to make himself open through body position, like a center blocking off defenders on the court. He is faster than a big man should be, and he uses his body position better than any other player at the position. The only thing really holding him back is a somewhat lackluster WR corps. Most teams play zone against Baltimore because they are not afraid of the outside receivers, and that limits Gates’s ability to outwork man coverage. OUTLOOK: Baltimore’s defense could be a league leader. They are aggressive, disciplined, and know how to tackle. They still lack the signature passrusher who could make them truly elite, but they will still be a tough squad to score against. The offense still lacks a few weapons, particularly a true #1 receiver. Daernerien McCants and Eddie Kennison just do not strike fear into opponents. We think that lack of explosiveness holds the Blitz back. They rely very heavily on Ron Dayne to keep drives alive, and that is not always easy with the box stacked against him. Get this team a top flight receiver and they could open things up a lot more. NEW JERSEY GENERALS 8-6 in 2005 COACH: Bill Parcells (6th Season) STADIUM: Giants Stadium (80,242) TOP 5 PLAYERS: QB Tom Brady, HB Curtis Enis, WR Terry Glenn, CB Deion Sanders, DE Shaun Ellis BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: The Generals went out and found a suitable #2 receiver by snagging T.J. Houshmanzadeh from the NFL Bengals. Housh is somewhere between a speed receiver and a possession receiver, but we think that with Tom Brady tossing him the ball, he could be a second #1 for this club. The combo of Glenn and Houshmanzadeh could be very much like what we saw in Ohio with Galloway and Ochocinco during their glory years. OUTLOOK: The 2004 league champions slipped a bit last year, but they added some good pieces in the offseason, including more speed at wideout, and a very good complement to Shaun Ellis in rookie Tamba Hali from Penn State. New Jersey will be in the mix all year long. The sign to look for, what is Curtis Enis averaging. If he can get to 4.2 YPC this team could be tough to stop. The ability to force teams to play the run is what frees up the receivers and keeps pressure off of Brady. Do that and have even a middle-of-the-pack defense and it is 10 wins or more for the Generals. WASHINGTON FEDERALS 9-5 in 2005 COACH: Kurt Schottenheimer (1st Season) STADIUM: RFK Stadium (45,596) TOP 5 PLAYERS: CB Charles Woodson, FS Ed Reed, DT Anthony McFarland, HB Deuce McCallister, WR Deion Branch BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: DT Kenard Lang comes over to the Federals from Arizona, where he will be paired with McFarland. That inside duo could be just what former DC Kurt Schottenheimer needs to make Washington’s already solid defnes truly elite. With McFarland occupying 2 blocks, there will be opportunity for Lang to penetrate and disrupt the run game, and the duo should make life very manageable for MLB Ike Reese, who should be able to shoot gaps, and cut off outside runs, making the run defense one of the league’s best. OUTLOOK: Coach Schottenheimer inherits the team after the retirement of Coach Hackett. That is not a bad way to come into a head coaching position, because it does not mean that you inherit a team with big problems. Washington won the division last year mostly on the strength of the defense and Deuce McCallister’s legs. Kordell Stewart missed several games with injury, and seems to have lost some of the quickness that made him so dangerous as a dual threat in the past. Without the prospect of him running with the ball, the Federals’ QB is less effective, and honestly not accurate enough to be considered an elite passer. That has to worry Schottenheimer, but with the defense we expect to see, as long as Stewart does not start producing unwelcome turnovers, it could still be enough to make a playoff push. TAMPA BAY BANDITS 10-4 in 2005 COACH: Steve Spurrier (3rd Season—this time around) STADIUM: Raymond James Stadium (75,000) TOP 5 PLAYERS: QB Daunte Culpepper, HB Willis McGahee, WR Randy Moss, DT Sean Gilbert, LB Kevin Mitchell BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: Safety Idrees Basheer comes to the Bandits from the NFL this year and is expected to make an immediate impact. Known as a big hitter and a bit of a ballhawk, Basheer could be a difference maker in a defense that often gets overlooked in Tampa Bay. Bandit Ball has always been about offense, but if the Bandits are going to get over the playoff hump and into a 3rd Summer Bowl, it will be because the defense improves and gets more takeaways, leading to more offensive production. OUTLOOK: This is a team that can blow you out of the water, and yet so often they seem to shoot themselves in the foot. Their defense was solid last year, and could be better this year. Their offense looks like it should score 40 every week, and yet doesn’t. Moss and Culpepper are a deadly combo, but we think McGahee is underused, and we are just not sure that sticking with Chris Doering as the #2 receiver makes Tampa Bay dangerous enough to match some of the other high-power offenses in the league. If they are going to reach the title game, they need to get more from the defense, particularly takeaways, and they need to diversify the attack by using McGahee and TE Jeremy Shockey to greater effect. If they can do that they can be a true title contender. JACKSONVILLE BULLS 9-5 in 2005 COACH: (8th Season) STADIUM: Alltel Stadium (67,838) TOP 5 PLAYERS: LB Mike Vrabel, LB Lavar Arrington, QB Jake Delhomme, HB Antowain Smith, CB Terrell Buckley BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: If Jacksonville is going to make some noise, it will likely be on defense. They have an outstanding LB corps, led by Vrabel and Arrington, but the secondary needs to step up. So, that means CB Terrell Buckley needs to become an elite coverage corner. He has all the tools, but has never put together a truly consistent season. If he can come away with 6-8 picks and reduce his catch to target ratio, this Bulls D can be dangerous. The Bulls need him to be a true #1 corner, and if he is, they will be a Top 5 defense. OUTLOOK: Coach Cunningham has had this team on the brink of moving from good to great for a while now. The issue seems to be that they have a lot of players who are solid, but few who are spectacular. Jake Delhomme is the poster child for that. He is a solid QB, does not make a lot of mistakes, but also is not the guy to pull out a game in the final seconds. Antowain Smith will get you 1,000 yards in a season, but will not get you 150 in a game. Rashaun Woods looks like the player most ready to make the leap from very good to great, and Anquon Boldin has shown flashes as well. If the defense is as good as we think they can be, then the offense only has to be top-half to be successful. Notice how many ifs we see here. That tells you what you need to know? ORLANDO RENEGADES 4-9-1 in 2005 COACH: Emmitt Thomas (2nd Season) STADIUM: Florida Citrus Bowl (60,219) TOP 5 PLAYERS: HB Sedrick Irvin, SS Tyrone Carter, LB Al Wilson, DT Pat Williams, QB Jeff Blake BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: Jeff Blake has to take another step up if Orlando is going to be competitive. Given the offense as the full time starter last season, he responded with 2,858 yards and 15 TDs. For Orlando to be competitive, we need to see 3,500 yards and at least 20 TDs from Blake. Is he capable of that? We are not sure, but if he can do it, the Renegades will be in solid shape and could make a run at Jacksonville for 2nd place. OUTLOOK: When you look at the roster of the Renegades, you don’t get excited. Even their Top 5 player list was a bit tough to put together because none of their “stars” are truly among the league elite. This is a blue collar bunch playing in a town known for magic, and that magic has been lacking. So how will Orlando win games? By playing solid, consistent, and mistake-free football. That seems the best path and perhaps the only path for this squad because the explosiveness and firepower is just not there compared to others in the conference. ATLANTA FIRE Expansion team in 2006 COACH: Jay Gruden (1st Year) STADIUM: Georgia Dome (71,228) TOP 5 PLAYERS: C Jim Pyne, FS Jerome Woods, HB Kevin Faulk, WR Josh Reed, LB Na’il Diggs BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: The Georgia Dome. Yup, we are picking the dome as the breakout player. Why? Well, because for the first time the fans in Atlanta can enjoy spring and summer football without having to endure monsoon rains, inhumane humidity, and sweltering heat. The first Atlanta Fire club, playing in open air Bobby Dodd Stadium, could never generate the fanbase that could help propel them to more wins. The hope, and early ticket sales seem to support this, is that inside the dome they could build a true home field advantage and have a stadium atmosphere that helps them find inspiration to win. OUTLOOK: Look, this is an expansion team, and while this year’s process helped them land some pretty good players, they are not elite, have few elite players, and have no coherence as a team. We expect that will mean a month or more before they can start to see quality results on the field, and perhaps more than 1 season to build a roster that can win consistently. That is to be expected. We like Jeff Lewis as a transition QB, but they will eventually try to find a truly elite signal caller. We are not sure about a backfield of Faulk and Smart, and the receiving corps lacks speed. The one area where they could excel early is on special teams, thanks to the signing of Dante Hall as a kick and punt returner. NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 8-6 in 2005 COACH: Jim Johnson (12th Season) STADIUM: LP Field (67,700) TOP 5 PLAYERS: HB Frank Gore, LB Michael Barrow, DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, WR Derrick Mason, WR Bert Emmanuel BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: The Knights defense got a boost with the signing of Michael Barrow, but we think the key player for this defense will be Jared Allen on the D-line. Allen improved from 2 sacks his rookie campaign to 9 sacks last season. Lined up opposite KGB, he could be primed to become a Top 5 sack leader in the league. The guy is all motor, all determination, and all effort, and that makes him very dangerous. OUTLOOK: We are not sure if Nashville is a contender ready to take the next step or a team about to go through a retooling period. What puts us in that frame of mind is the drafting of Jay Cutler. Cutler is clearly the future for this team, but is the future now? As we have said before, Todd Collins is a solid game manager, but in the USFL, that is often not enough, as we saw in last year’s playoffs, when the Dragons came into Nashville and knocked off the Southern division champs in the Wild Card round. If the Knights get off to a slow start, or even if their offense seems sluggish, how long will Coach Johnson wait before giving Cutler a chance to show why he was rated a Top 10 draft pick by so many? Johnson has been the coach of the Knights for over a decade, and while the playoffs have been common, a title has eluded him. Can he afford another good, not great season? MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS 6-7-1 in 2005 COACH: Jim Mora Sr (9th Season) STADIUM: Liberty Bowl Stadium (58,325) TOP 5 PLAYERS: QB Heath Shuler, WR Robert Ferguson, DE Julius Peppers, LB Hannibal Navies, FS Tebucky Jones BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: If the Showboats are going to move back over .500 and battle for a playoff spot the one player who needs a breakout season is 2nd year running back Cadillac Williams. Williams established himself as the bell cow back for the Showboats last year, racking up 866 yards in 14 games, but if Memphis wants to build a balanced offense, they will need to see his 3.4 yards per carry average increase to 4.0 or higher and his total yards over 1,000. That is not a big leap for a talented back, and it is not uncommon that we see rookie backs struggle both with the transition to the pro game and the lack of a true offseason in their first year. We would not be surprised at all to see Williams bust out this year and become a true weapon for the Showboats. OUTLOOK: We like Memhis as a contender in the division and as a team that could take a big step forward. The Defense has some playmakers at each level, DT Leon Bender and their pair of DE’s Julius Peppers and Dameaion Jeffries can be disruptive. Linebackers Kirk Morrison and Hannibal Navies are not the most athletic but have a nose for the ball, and safeties Jones and Coy Wire are a solid duo. They are a bit understaffed at corner, which is a concern, but overall this can be a Top 10 defense. The offense will depend a lot on Cadillac Williams, because once again Memphis failed to truly do much to improve their WR corps. They added MarTay Jenkins, but it still feels like they are asking Robert Ferguson to take on the #1 role, which feels like too much of an ask. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 5-8-1 in 2005 COACH: Mike Nolan (6th Season) STADIUM: New Orleans will play one game each in Memphis, Birmingham and Houston before finishing the season with 4 home games based at Portland’s new Columbia Sportswear Stadium (56,744). TOP 5 PLAYERS: QB Eli Manning, HB Troy Davis, TE Bubba Franks, DE Ty Warren, WR Keenan McCardell BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: Cornerback Randall Gay enters his third season with a lot of high hopes. After a rookie campaign in which he had 5 picks, teams still felt comfortable targeting him in 2005, and yet he only had 1 pick last season. If teams are going to throw his direction, we need to see more of his tips and deflections turn into picks. He has a ton of talent, and has become a solid tackler, but what New Orleans needs from him is the ability to concern opposing passers, to reduce the effectiveness of their top receivers. OUTLOOK: We expect this will be a very tough season for the Breakers. Not only must they deal with the emotional, physical, and financial toll of Katrina, but even with good fan support in Memphis, Birmignham, Houston and Portland, it will still very much feel like playing 14 road games. Even keeping games close will have to be seen as a moral victory. If New Orleans is going to have any success at all, it will require that Eli Manning take a big step forward in his third year. He started all 14 games last season and he had moments, completing 68.3% of his passes, and throwing for 3,239 yards, but his TD-INT ratio of 17-11 has to improve. New Orleans added veteran receiver Keenan McCardell, who is a consummate pro, and should help Manning on more third downs. With McCardell and another new addition, Cedric Tillman, out wide, Hakeem can move back to the slot, where he is at his best. That, plus the presence of Bubba Franks inside, is a pretty solid group to work with. The run game will depend on the success of the passing game, as we don’t see either Davis or Chris Perry able to carry a true power run game. Draws and misdirection will be key. The defense has some strengths, but has not come together as a unit. All this, plus the vagabond nature of the season have us believing that an equaling of their 5-win season from 2005 will be a major accomplishment. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS 2-12 in 2005 COACH: Dennis Franchione (4th Season) STADIUM: Legion Field (71,594) TOP 5 PLAYERS: HB Shaun Alexander, WR Joe Horn, LB Ted Johnson, DE Mike Rucker, CB James Trapp BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: Rookie LB DeMeco Ryans is going to be a day 1 starter and could be a key to improving the Stallions’ less than stellar defensive record under Franchione. The Stallions have some good talent on defense, starting with Mike Rucker, but they need to be faster and more athletic, and Ryans can provide that. If Birmingham can be mid-range on defense, they go a long way to moving back to a competitive squad. OUTLOOK: As much as we think DeMeco Ryans is important to the defense, there is no denying that all the hopes in Birmingham rely on QB Jason Campbell making a major leap in his 2nd season. His 1,834 yards and 10-8 TD-INT ratio in his rookie campaign are just not the stuff that is going to help Birmingham return to glory. Yes, it was a bad team across the board last year, and Campbell dealt with injuries, but he did start 10 games, and if he is going to be the starter moving forward, the Stallions are going to see more. And, speaking of more, we are still waiting for Shaun Alexander to have his first 1,000 yard season. We see the talent in fits and starts all season long, but either he is not given the ball enough, or the line is not helping him enough, but it just feels like if Alexander does not see growth this year, he needs to find a new home. It was easy to blame his issues on a Brett-Favre-dominant offense early on, but there is no excuse now for the Stallions not to return to the run-first attitude that brought them so much success during the Joe Cribbs years. One thousand yards or he should push for a trade, it is just that simple. OHIO GLORY 9-5 in 2005 COACH: Al Luginbill (8th Season) STADIUM: Ohio Stadium (102,708) TOP 5 PLAYERS: QB Kerry Collins, HB Eddie George, WR Joey Galloway, DE Vonnie Holliday, FS Mike Doss BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: Rookie WR Santonio Holmes is being treated like the second coming of Joey Galloway in Columbus. Another top flight wideout from the Buckeyes, the comparisons come easily, but the two are very different players with very different roles to play. However, if Holmes can translate his college success into his new role as the 2nd target for Kerry Collins, this offense can return to the lofty heights of the 2002 and 2003 championship years. All the other pieces are there. OUTLOOK: We think Ohio’s offense can be special once again, but in 2002, when they went 14-0 and completed the first undefeated season since the Dolphins in 1972 they did it by adding a solid defense to the offensive production. Defense could be a true Achilles heel for the Glory in 2006, and with very tough competition in their division, being a one-trick pony could be a real problem. If they can even be middle of the pack in points allowed, this offense has the capacity to take them back to the Summer Bowl and put to rest all the “end of a dynasty” talk. CHICAGO MACHINE 11-3 In 2005 COACH: Marty Mornhinweg (8th Season) STADIUM: Soldier Field (63,500) TOP 5 PLAYERS: QB Jeff George, WR Donald Driver, LB Brian Urlacher, DE Anthony Weaver, DT Ted Washington. BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: Halfback Michael Turner has put together two solid years, rushing for 759 yards in 2004 and then 820 in 2005, but for Chicago to return to the Summer Bowl it may require more. The truth is that we could have selected all 5 of Chicago’s best players from the defensive side. The offense always seems two steps behind the D, and just as Ohio cannot live by offense alone, Chicago needs more offense to avoid those letdowns when the defensive fire is not enough. If Turner can become a 1,000 yard rusher, it goes a long way to moving the Machine towards a balance of O and D. OUTLOOK: Chicago took a huge step last year, knocking Ohio off their podium and claiming both the division and the #1 seed. They made a great playoff run before running out of gas against Seattle. In the offseason they added one potential starter on offense in rookie TE Anthony Fasano from Notre Dame, which does not feel like enough. The problem is that they also took some big hits on defense, losing 3 of their 4 starting DBs. That is huge. As much as we love the D-line and as much as Urlacher is a beast of a MLB, if you cannot cover this league’s dynamic receivers with a young and inexperienced secondary, you will struggle. We still like Chicago’s chances, but the odds of a mini-collapse are not astronomical. MICHIGAN PANTHERS 9-5 in 2005 COACH: Dick LeBeau (4th Season) STADIUM: Ford Field (64,204) TOP 5 PLAYERS: QB Drew Brees, WR Hines Ward, CB Deltha O’Neal, SS Mike Brown, LB Andy Katzenmoyer BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: We are not going to pick just one player here, we are going to applaud the bold move Michigan made last year, drafting three dynamic linebackers in the same season. When Katzenmoyer went out, all three were on the field, and by all accounts they outplayed their status as rookies all season long. While we were all swooning at Drew Brees’s production, the trio of Shawne Merriman, DeMarcus Ware and Odell Thurman were locking down the defense. If they can do even more this year, and if Katzenmoyer can return to his 2004 form, this could be one of the best linebacking groups in the league for a very long time. OUTLOOK: Michigan is our not-so-darkhorse to be this season’s big leaper. They have almost everything they need to be a powerhouse on both sides of the ball. We would like to see a bit more pass rush out of Ekuban and Leonard Little, and we wish that we had more confidence in a rotation between Fred Jackson, Ladell Betts, and rookie Leon Washington, but aside from those issues, this is a team that can compete each and every week. And if the halfback trio can combine for 1,200-1,400 yards, this could be a very dangerous squad. PITTSBURGH MAULERS 4-9-1 in 2005 COACH: Ron Rivera (1st Year) STADIUM: Heinz Field (68,400) TOP 5 PLAYERS: HB Terrell Davis, WR Vincent Jackson, CB Patrick Surtain, SS Sean Taylor, DE Kyle Vanden Bosch BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: Pittsburgh needs a lot of their younger players to break out if they want to win more than 7 games this year. But for all the youth across the roster, it is 8-year veteran QB Charlie Batch who needs to step things up the most. He has had some good years, like a 27-TD 2000 season and then 33 TDs the next year, but last year was a regression, with Batch only playing in 9 games and only throwing for 8 TDs in that span. Time is running out for Batch to get back to that early 2000’s form, and it is running out for 31-year old Terrell Davis. OUTLOOK: The Maulers look and feel like a club that may just have to blow it all up and rebuild, at least on offense. They have a good young corps of receives, but Batch and Davis may not be able to give them enough to be truly competitive. Coach Rivera has focused on defense in his first offseason, but may have to consider a QB hunt and possibly both QB and HB in the next year unless Davis shows incredible longevity and Batch makes a big leap. Playing 8 division games this year will be a rough run for a team that needs to redefine itself under a new coach. Thankfully 2 of those will be against expansion St. Louis. ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS Expansion Team in 2006 COACH: Art Shell (First Year) STADIUM: The Dome At America’s Center (66,965) TOP 5 PLAYERS: DE Santana Dotson, FS Tyrone Drakeford, FB Vontae Leach, WR Taylor Jacobs, CB Tod Mcbride BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: The hope in St. Louis is that either Quincy Carter or HB Larry Johnson sees their opportunity in 2005 with this new franchise. Both have struggled in their early careers, but Coach Shell has confidence that both are primed to break out. This is an expansion team, and their roster is not loaded, but it has some decent talent, so if they can get a break out season from either offensive weapon, they could be an early success story. OUTLOOK: The Skyhawks will have an enthusiastic home crowd, having already sold over 30,000 season tickets in the Dome. They have an owner committed to building a winner and a no nonsense head coach with good history for getting more from less. They will need all those things because the roster is not talent-rich, and while there are some solid individual players on both sides of the ball, there is not a dominant, or even Top 10 group at any position. It typically takes 3-4 years for an expansion club to find true success. Ohio got their first title in their 6th season, if that is any indication, but of the 4 clubs in 1995, they were the fastest, with Seattle competitive on and off, culminating in their 11th season with a title. Atlanta/Boston has finally started to look good, while LA, the fourth 1995 expansion club is still struggling to find itself. So, the odds for a quick and sustainable success in St. Louis are not high. HOUSTON GAMBLERS 9-5 in 2005 COACH: Wade Phllips (7th Season) STADIUM: NRG Stadium (72,220) TOP 5 PLAYERS: QB Matt Hasselbeck, WR Antonio Freeman, DE Kavika Pittman, DT Richard Seymour, CB Ronde Barber BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: As much as we want to find a HB who will bust out, the combo of Mike Anderson, Tatum Bell, and Anthony Thomas has not shown us much to anticipate this. The obvious choice is DE Osi Umenyiura, who jumped from 4 sacks in 2004 with Nashville to 9 sacks last year, his first with the Gamblers. Gambler fans have visions of a new Michael Sinclair-Kavika Pittman combo when they look at Umenyiura. If that happens, then Houston can improve on a 9-win season and again capture the #1 seed in the west, a tougher conference now that Ohio, Chicago, and Michigan have switched conferences as part of the expansion. OUTLOOK: Houston has all the weapons on defense that they need. They are stacked, and can be scary when they are in synch. The offense is still very much a pass-first endeavor, and the addition of TE Vernon Davis makes them even more dangerous. They can line up in a 2-TE formation and be just as likely to pass as to run inside. We see Davis, Dan Campbell, Freeman, Williams, Robinson, David Patten, and Drew Bennett as perhaps the deepest receiving corps in all of the USFL. Maybe Coach Phillips should bring in Mouse Davis to reinstate the Run & Shoot, because this is a team that should be throwing the ball 50 times a game. If they can get any semblance of a run game to help kill the clock, this could be a very special team. ARIZONA WRANGLERS 3-11 in 2005 COACH: Jim Fassel (3rd Season) STADIUM: Valley of the Sun Stadium (63,400) TOP 5 PLAYERS: QB Jake Plummer, WR Larry Fitzgerald, WR Santana Moss, DT Jason Peter, CB Jimmy Williams BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: If Arizona is going to bounce back after a truly disastrous 2005 campaign, a lot of pressure will be put on a defense that was lights out in 2004, and knocked out last year. The player who could help make that happen is LB Lance Briggs. Briggs had 89 tackles last year. If he can be a 100-tackle man in his 4th year in the league, Arizona could be a much better defensive squad. They have a lot of holes to be concerned about (cough-run game-cough), but if the LB corps of Briggs, Dansby, and Jordan can play to their capabilities, the Wranglers could be competitive again. OUTLOOK: It feels like a broken record talking about Arizona. Every year we praise their receivers, praise Jake Plummer’s escapability, and then trash talk the run game. But every year we are right to do so. What was different in 2005? How did they win the division? Defense. And that will be the key to this year as well. Yes, last year, playing without Plummer was a disaster, but so was the defense. If they can get close to their 2004 level of commitment on that side of the ball, and if Plummer can stay healthy (two big ifs), Arizona could be right in the hunt in this division. DENVER GOLD 9-5 in 2005 COACH: Dick Jauron (10th season) STADIUM: Invesco Field at Mile High (76,125) TOP 5 PLAYERS: DE Marcellus Wiley, TE Lonnie Johnson, WR Peerless Price, FS Jamel Williams, DT Montae Reager BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: When you actually dust off the wallet, open it up, and put your money where your mouth is, you hope you have chosen wisely. Denver spent big to wrest QB Matt Leinart out of the NFL picture and sign the talented USC product. They have some weapons around him in Price, Stokes, and Benson, and they have a tried and true formula of slow playing games, solid defense, balance with the run game, and short passing. If Leinart can be anything like he showed at USC, they can stay at or near the top of the division. If he struggles, so will the Gold as a team. OUTLOOK: That is a lot of pressure on a rookie QB. Mark Brunell was an institution in Denver, starting for the Gold from 1994 through 2005. He brought the Gold 11 playoff appearances, 3 Summer Bowl appearances, and a league title in that time. That is a lot to live up to. Coach Jauron will be sure to try to spread the responsibility of maintaining Denver’s incredible success to the entire team, but we all know that it is Leinart who is the key to this year. We wish the Gold had been able to keep Rod Smart, because there is concern that the run game has taken a step back, but there is talent all over this roster, so if the team can come together to support their rookie QB, they could again prove very successful. TEXAS OUTLAWS 3-11 in 2005 COACH: John Mackovic (2nd Season0 STADIUM: The Alamodome (64,000) TOP 5 PLAYERS: HB T.J. Duckett, WR Ike Hilliard, DT Luis Castillo, LB Kailee Wong, CB Nathan Vasher BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: We already listed Nathan Vasher as one of Texas’s 5 best players, but we think he is primed for a break out season. He jumped from 1 pick as a rookie to 4 last year, and in a defense that improved significantly with the arrival of LB Kailee Wong and SS Lawyer Molloy, Vasher could become a true weapon for this defense. The concern is that the DE combo of Bob Kuberski and Dimitrius Underwood will not get enough pressure to force quick throws, which could make Vasher’s job a lot tougher. OUTLOOK: After a 3-win season it is hard to be optimistic in San Antonio. Looking at what Houston, Denver, and even Arizona might be able to do this year, it is even a tougher call to be an optimist in Outlawland. Fans are hoping that in his first full season since coming over from New Orleans, QB Trent Difler can find some magic, but Texas simply does not have many weapons for Dilfer to utilize. Rookie Marques Colston, a late round pick, was good enough in camp to become the slot receiver, but he is more suited on the outside. Eleven-year vet Freddie Solomon is not suddenly going to jump up in quality, and Ike Hilliard is not a deep ball threat in his 7th year. That is a worry. T.J. Duckett is a solid grinder, but also not a player who will bust off long game-changing runs. We just don’t see the offense doing a lot, which means Coach Mackovic needs to find a way to turn this defense into something special. SEATTLE DRAGONS 6-8 in 2005 (League Champion) COACH: Marvin Lewis (4th Season) STADIUM: Qwest Field (68,740) TOP 5 PLAYERS: QB Byron Leftwich, HB Corey Dillon, WR David Boston, LB Takeo Spikes, LB Godfrey Miles BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: The whole team broke out last year in that amazing playoff run, but if one player can shine this year to keep Seattle on top, the Dragons hope it will be 3rd year DE Travis LaBoy. John Abraham has been the main sack man in Seattle for several years, but LaBoy is more athletic and should see more single blocks. If he can improve on a 5-sack season in 2004, and 4 in 2005, the Dragon defense could be very solid. They have a lot of talent with Marques Truffant, and their two dynamic LBs, but a pass rush that is truly dangerous has been lacking. OUTLOOK: We are still trying to figure out exactly how Seattle did it last year, going from a 6-8 team and 6th seed all the way to a league title. The short answer is that the team peaked at exactly the right time. So how do you capture that essence and repeat it? Seattle still has a lot of the holes that were issues in the regular season last year, no true 2nd WR, a weak pass rush, trouble with consistency, but if they can capture some of the magic of that run last year, they are a clear favorite in a pretty weak Pacific Division. If Corey Dillon can start strong and if Byron Leftwich can find options outside of David Boston, the Dragons could be a contender once again. OAKLAND INVADERS 8-6 in 2005 COACH: Dennis Green (4th Season) STADIUM: Oakland McAfee Coliseum (62,784) TOP 5 PLAYERS: QB Trent Green, HB Ricky Williams, WR Plaxico Burress, DE Justin Smith, LB Roosevelt Colvin BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: The Invaders pulled off a big trade with Texas to bring Justin Smith to the Bay. The speedy, strong DE recorded 11 sacks in both 2003 and 2004 with the Outlaws, and Oakland has high hopes he could become a league leader in the category as they line him up with Joe Salave’a and Israel Idonije. If he can get to that lofty 15-20 sack range, Oakland can take the division title again. OUTLOOK: Dennis Green has gone from a 2-win first season to a division title in his third season, ending Oakland’s long playoff drought in the process. He finds himself this year being asked to take yet another step, but he has a lot of talent to make it happen. We love the Justin Smith trade, the drafting of GregJennings to go with Booker and Burriss, and the fact that they protected Joey Harrington in the Expansion Draft, meaning that Green has clear ideas that transition from 13-year vet Trent Green is inevitable. We think Green is still the starter, but after seeing what happened when Jake Plummer went down in Arizona, having a player like Harrington available and being mentored by Green is a very good insurance policy. Oakland will challenge Seattle this year, and could win the division again. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS 5-9 in 2005 COACH: Hue Jackson (1st Season) STADIUM: Farmers Insurance Field (70,102) TOP 5 PLAYERS: QB Cade McNown, WR Keyshawn Johnson, WR Tory Holt, DE Jevon Kearse, DE Keneche Udeze BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: While he has been outstanding already as a dynamic player and a brutal hitman, SS Troy Polamalu has to add one more trick to his repertoire this year, leadership. LA’s defense needs a vocal leader. They have talent, especially on the D-line with Udeze and Kearse, and they have some solid pieces a LB, but the secondary has been an overall disappointment. Polamalu draws a lot of attention, but unless they can get better across the back play consistently, the Express will continue to struggle. OUTLOOK: Hue Jackson takes over a team that has enough stars to be a 10-win team, and yet can never seem to play together week in and week out. He will need to focus on culture and consistency this year. He has the pieces to be competitive in the division, but can he turn those pieces into a well-oiled machine? One key would be the run game. Not going after Reggie Bush seems a vote of confidence that DeShaun Foster can return to the 1,000 yard-8 TD form of 2004. But, we are also intrigued that LA did go after and sign Maurice Jones-Drew out of UCLA, a player who may get 10-12 carries a game and could be a dynamic change of pace. Change of pace is exactly what the entire team needs, an urgency and a focus on execution. LAS VEGAS THUNDER 2-12 in 2005 COACH: Jerry Glanville (2nd Season) STADIUM: Sam Boyd Stadium (39,480) TOP 5 PLAYERS: QB Steve McNair, WR Muhsin Muhammad, DE Hugh Douglas, LB Joey Porter, CB Will Allen BREAKOUT PLAYER FOR 2005: Las Vegas made a huge splash only 3 weeks ago, signing Steve “Air” McNair to be their QB at the very end of the NFL-USFL transfer window. It is a bold move, one that clearly indicates that both Thunder ownership and Coach Glanville are not going to take a slow “build through the draft” strategy. McNair has some good weapons to work with, though we are still concerned that a RB corps of Dominic Rhodes, Julius Jones and Detron Smith is not exactly a recipe for immediate success. OUTLOOK: If Las Vegas jumps out of the basement after 3 straight losing seasons, it will likely be due to McNair’s leadership and an improved defense. The Thunder added muscle and skill with the acquisitions of DTs Ellis Johnson, Marcus Stroud, and CB Antoine Winfield. They also landed two more defensive studs in the draft, taking another DT in Oregon’s Haloti Ngata in the T-Draft and then jumped on A.J. Hawk with the #4 overall pick in the Open Draft. If This works out and Las Vegas can develop a shut down defense, then McNair may find his life gets a lot easier. We still wish the Thunder had a clear #1 back, and a quality receiver under the age of 31, but for now defense seems the key to any success Las Vegas will encounter this year. We already indicated the 12 teams we think will appear in the 2006 playoffs. Boston, Philly, Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, and Nashville in the East. Ohio, Chicago, Michigan, Houston, Arizona, and Seattle in the West. There are others who could make an appearance, but for now these are the 12 we are going with. We see the East as a battle of two offensive dynamos, Tampa Bay and Ohio, but we could see a team like Philadelphia or Jacksonville spoiling the party. In the West, Houston and Ohio seem to be on a collision course, but we cannot count out Seattle or Chicago. And, of course, we have no idea if 2006 will produce another moderate surprise like New Jersey in 2004 or a huge surprise like Seattle’s title run last year. The odds say that the USFL title is almost always won by a division winner, often a 1 or 2 seed. So that makes us look at Tampa Bay, Boston, Houston, and Ohio very seriously. We debated and discussed at great length, trying to be somewhat outside the box, but the truth is that the overwhelming sentiment was that we were going to go with two of these 4 teams. We settled on Tampa Bay and Ohio as our two picks, setting up a high velocity, high scoring Summer Bowl in Philadelphia. A tough call in the end, but we have just a smidge more faith in the Bandit defense than in the Glory D, and while both offenses are explosive, defense, even just a stop or two, or a timely turnover, could be the difference. Our pick for the 2006 champion is the Tampa Bay Bandits. But please, do not bet the mortgage on this.

Welcome to our two part preview of the 2006 USFL Season. In this first article we will be focusing on the offseason moves, the recently completed NFL-USFL Transfer window, the latest trades, and the always hit-or-miss post USFL Draft signing period. We will also take our best guess at the 5 most improved teams, and the 10 players to watch this season. In the second half of our season preview we will look at each club and each division and give our best estimate of what we should expect from this first year of a 26-team league. What can we see ahead for Atlanta, St. Louis and all 24 returning clubs? Will we have another Cinderella season or will the heavy hitters regain dominance? Let’s kick it all off with the 2006 USFL Draft, the players signed, and those who got away. We will follow the order of the first round, which did see all 26 teams participate, though with just a bit of shuffling. ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS T-Draft Signees: QB Brad Smith (Mizzou), WR DT Montavious Stanley (Louisville), DE Elvis Dumerville 1st Round, Pick 1: QB Vince Young (Texas)—Signed with Houston Oilers of NFL Open Draft Signings: WR Sinorice Moss (Miami), OT Rashad Butler (Miami), TE Owen Daniels (Wisc) Draft Grade: The SkyHawks swung for the fences in taking Vince Young #1 overall, and as so often happens, he was also the top target for the NFL, signing with the in-state Houston Oilers. But, other than that pick they had a pretty good run, including landing all 3 of their T-Draft selections, including a back up plan at QB with Missouri’s Brad Smith, and a pretty good looking DE in Elvis Dumervil. Their best signing from the Open Draft may well be TE Owen Daniels, though Sinorice Moss in the 2nd round was also a good selection. We grade this a solid B+ for the expansion franchise. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS T-Draft Signees: LB DeMeco Ryans (Alabama), WR Ben Obomanu (Auburn) 1st Round, Pick 2: DE Mario Williams (NC State): Signed with Tennessee Copperheads (NFL) Open Draft Signings: S Ko Simpson (So Car) Draft Grade: If it were not for the T-Draft this draft by Birmingham would get an F. They were able to sign only 1 of 7 picks in the Open Draft, 4th rounder Ko Simpson. It is not that they picked bad players, it was that they were unable to offer enough to avoid players like 1st rounder Mario Williams from departing for the NFL. This happens to at least one team each year, where just everyone they pick goes to the fall, but Birmingham has never seen a year like this. We give them a D because at least in DeMeco Ryans they get a strong player who should see the field this year. ATLANTA FIRE T-Draft Signees: HB P.J. Daniels (Ga Tech), QB D.J. Shockley (UGA), TE Leonard Pope (UGA) 1st Round, Pick 3: S Michael Huff (Texas), Signed with Los Angeles Raiders of NFL Open Draft Signings: G Deuce Lutui (USC), C Jason Spitz (Louisville), WR Demetrius Williams (Oregon), DT Anthony Montgomery (Minnesota) Draft Grade: Atlanta fared much better than Birmingham in their signings, largely because they had a lot of cap room to swing around. That did not help them with #1 pick Michael Huff, making it the top 3 USFL picks who all signed with the NFL, but it did help them land 4 of 7 Open Draft picks and all three of their T-Draft selections, including the developmental QB selection of D. J. Schockley. With this draft, Atlanta focused on the O-line and depth at their skill positions. We give Atlanta an A- for landing players across the entire roster who could help them grow into a competitive team. LAS VEGAS THUNDER T-Draft Signees: DT Haloti Ngata (Oregon) 1st Round, Pick 4: LB A. J. Hawk (Ohio State), Signed for 4 years. Open Draft Signings: HB Jerome Harrison (Wash St), DE Dave Tollefson (NW Mo ST), S Jarrad Page (UCLA) Draft Grade: The Thunder were in talks with St. Louis even after their pick of Vince Young. They had wanted to move up to draft Young, and then they had wanted to see if St. Louis would trade Young for a QB at the #4 slot. That did not work out, and perhaps that is best for the Thunder, as Young ended up in the NFL anyway. They ended up going with the player their head coach, Jerry Glanville wanted, LB A.J. Hawk out of Ohio State, and they landed the big-hitting linebacker, making the Thunder the first team to sign a 1st round pick (in draft order, he was not the first to sign). Add to this the signing of one of the draft’s best D-linemen in Oregon’s Haloti Ngata, and you have two solid signings. Ngata was a T-Draft selection, made when Las Vegas was granted a 3rd school, and they chose Oregon, clearly with Ngata in mind. Those two may be the only two who stick on the roster, but they are two who should make an impact. We give them a B and expect Coach Glanville to get both Ngata and Hawk into an aggressive defensive scheme from day one. TEXAS OUTLAWS T-Draft Signees: CB Cedric Griffin (Texas), TE David Thomas (Texas) 1st Round, Pick 5: LB Chad Greenway (Iowa), Signed a 4-year deal. Open Draft Signings: WR Marques Colston (Hofstra) Draft Grade: There was a lot of talk of Texas trading out of the #5 spot to get more picks, and perhaps they should have done that, since they were able to sign only 2 of the 7 draftees selected. One of those two was their 1st rounder, LB Chad Greenway of Iowa, who should immediately be seen on the field for the Outlaws. The other was a promising wideout form Hofstra, who will get a chance to start as a kick returner, but whose speed is certainly something Texas needs. Other than that, their draft is somewhat lackluster. With only 4 incoming rookies, we can only give Texas a C. ARIZONA WRANGLERS T-Draft Signees: WR David Hagan (ASU), G Kili Lefotu (Arizona) 1st Round, Pick 6: LB Ernie Sims (FSU), Signed by NFL Detroit Lions Open Draft Signings: DT Claude Wroten (LSU), DT Kyle Williams (LSU), WR Domenik Hixon (Akron), LB Blake Costanzo (Lafayette), C/G Greg Eslinger (Minnesota) Draft Grade: Arizona went for the 3rd straight LB in the first round, and were the one club unable to seal the deal, as Ernie Sims opted to join the NFL Lions. They spent a lot of picks on the offensive and defensive line, and did pretty well in signing players, a total of 7 from their 10 picks. Those are pretty good results, but are the players good as well? The most interesting thing we see in the draft for the Wranglers is their tendency to double up on positions of need. They drafted two guards (depending on how Eslinger comes in), two wideouts, and two DTs. We are intrigued to see which of the two LSU teammates at DT ends up winning the battle for playing time and a possible position next to Jason Peter in the 4-3 that Coach Fassel runs. Overall a decent haul, but no immeditate game changers. That’s a B in our book. DENVER GOLD (From Pittsburgh) T-Draft Signees: TE Joe Klopfenstein (Colo), S Daniel Bullocks (Neb) 1st Round, Pick 7: QB Matt Leinart (USC), Signed to a 3-year contract Open Draft Signings: T Eric Winston (Miami), DE Mark Anderson (Alabama), LB tim Mcgarigle (NWestern) Draft Grade: Everyone knew Denver would be trying to move up to nab a QB, and everyone knew which one they preferred. There was talk of moving to #4 or #6, but the Gold found a trading partner in Pittsburgh at #7, moving all the way up from 20 by sending the Maulers LB Kawika Mitchell and picks both this year and next. But, they got the man they wanted, inking USC’s Leinart within 4 days of the draft. Other than their rookie QB, the draft was pretty uninspiring, though we think Winston can be a contributor on the O-line and TE Joe Klopfenstein is a local favorite among CU Buff fans. We give this draft an A- because the Gold knew the one position they could not miss on, and they did what was needed. ORLANDO RENEGADES T-Draft Signees: WR Brandon Marshall (UCF), CB Dee Webb (Florida) 1st Round, Pick 8: DE Kamerion Wimberly (FSU), Signed to 3-year deal. Open Draft Signings: C Chris Chester (OU), CB Cortland Finnegan (Samford), G Fred Matua (USC) Draft Grade: When Jacksonville failed to select Wimberly with one of their 3 T-Draft picks, Orlando started licking their chops. They had coveted the athletic Seminole edge rusher and they got their chance without having to trade up. The rest of their draft was pretty drab, though we do like Chester as a road grater of a center. UCF’s Brandon Marshall is a big, tall receiver who could be a good red zone target for Jeff Blake. Our grade, a solid B if Wimberly pans out, which all indicators seem to prophesize. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS T-Draft Signees: HB Maurice Jones-Drew (UCLA), S Darnell Bing (USC) 1st Round, Pick 9: CB Tye Hill (Clemson), Signed with NFL St. Louis Rams Open Draft Signings: LB Stephen Tulloch (NC State), QB Brodie Croyle (Alabama), DT Gabe Watson (Mich) Draft Grade: With so much talent at USC, there was a lot of surprise that the Express did not go after big name players like Bush, White, or Leinart, but neither QB or HB was a position of need. They went with a significantly less-expensive option in Jones-Drew, and then tried to focus on defense in the open draft. Missing on Tye Hill leaves bit of a gap at corner, but Stephen Tulloch could be a steal in the 4th round. We give them a C because they added depth but no immediate impact players. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS T-Draft Signees: DE Melvin Oliver (LSU), WR Skyler Green (LSU) 1st Round, Pick 10: S Donte Whitner, Ohio State, Signed with NFL Buffalo Bills Open Draft Signings: LB Jamar Williams (ASU), DT Barry Cofield (NWestern) Draft Grade: The chaos of Katrina and the prospect of playing the entire 2006 season on the road (essentially) clearly impacted the ability of the Breakers to sign their draft picks. They landed only 4 of 10 selections between the two drafts and none before the 4th round of the open draft. That is another tough reality for the club, who will hope to bounce back with a better draft in 2007. Our Grade, D, for depressing reality. NEW JERSEY GENERALS T-Draft Signees: G David Joseph (OU), DT Dusty Dvoracek (OU), WR Travis Wilson (OU) 1st Round, Pick 11: DE Tamba Hali (Penn State), Signed to 4 year deal. Open Draft Signings: WR Miles Austin (Monmouth) Draft Grade: If it were not for New Jersey holding Oklahoma as a protected school, where would they be? The weird geographical anomaly works in their favor as the Generals land all 3 OU picks from the T-Draft, including a solid guard in Joseph. They also did a good job of wooing Penn State’s Tamba Hali, who will be the latest in New Jerseys’ attempt to resurrect a devastating pass rush after the retirement of Phil Hansen. Other than Hali, the Generals pretty much flubbed the open draft, signing only WR Miles Austin from tiny Monmouth College. Our Grade: C-, with Hali being the main bright spot. OHIO GLORY T-Draft Signees: WR Santonio Holmes (Ohio St), CB Ashton Youboty (Ohio St) 1st Round, Pick 12: LB Bobby Carpenter (Ohio St), Signed by NFL Dallas Cowboys Open Draft Signings: LB Terna Nande (Miami-OH), DT Le Kevin Smith (Neb) Draft Grade: What a weird strategy Ohio used this time around. They don’t select LB Bobby Carpenter in the T-Draft, when they could have had him with no competition, instead going for Holmes, Youboty, and safety Nate Salley, and then they use their 1st round pick on him. Of course he was none too pleased about being overlooked in the T-Draft, so he signs with the Dallas Cowboys, costing Ohio their 1st round pick. That was a major strategic bungle if you ask us. Holmes may end up the only player to make this squad, but that is not enough for us to overlook how shoddy their strategy was. Our Grade, an F. BOSTON CANNONS T-Draft Signees: LB Manny Lawson (NC State), DT John McCargo (NC State), 1st Round, Pick 13: HB Joseph Addai (LSU), Signed with NFL Colts. Open Draft Signings: TE Garrett Mills (Tulas), CB DeMario Minter (UGA), S Charlie Peprah (Alabama), DE Brent Hawkins (Ill St), T Zach Strief (NWestern), G Rob Sims Draft Grade: Boston’s draft depends on how you look at it. On the one hand, they signed 8 of 10 draftees, and they were very effective using NC State as a T-Draft school, landing both Manny Lawson and John McCargo, but they made a very odd 1st round pick in LSU’s Joseph Addai. Weird in that Addai clearly would be a backup to Tiki Barber. Maybe they know something about Barber’s plans that we don’t but this was one that confused the room because it was not seen as a priority. But, Addai ended up jumping at the chance to be the lead back for the NFL Colts, so it is a bit of a moot point. Talent wise, the Cannons seem to have done better in the T-Draft than the open draft, but at least they have 8 new bodies in camp, which is better than most teams can say. Our Grade, B- with more points for quantity than quality. BALTIMORE BLITZ T-Draft Signees: DE Darryl Tapp (Va Tech), OT Jimmy Martin (Va Tech) 1st Round, Pick 14: T D’Brickashaw Ferguson (Uva), Signed a 4-year deal. Open Draft Signings: LB A.J. Nicholson (FSU), G Michael Toudouze (TCU), HB Wali Lundy (UVa) Draft Grade: No team loved the run on 1st round linebackers more than the Blitz. Ben Roethlisberger has to be overjoyed that D’Brickashaw Ferguson dropped all the way to #14. Most drafts had him as a top 8 pick and had Baltimore looking at defense here and getting a tackle later, but with Ferguson available, they lucked out. It means that they did not get quite as much defensive talent as they had wanted, but Big Ben and the Blitz offense are certainly happy it worked out as it did. We give Baltimore an A- just for not screwing it up and passing on the big tackle when he dropped to them. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS T-Draft Signees: CB Johnathan Joseph (So Car), S Vickiel Vaughn (Arkansas) 1st Round, Pick 15: TE Marcedes Lewis (UCLA), Signed with Jacksonville in NFL. Open Draft Signings: DT Jonathan Lewis (Va Tech), LB Tim Dobbins (Iowa St) Draft Grade: Memphis was a mess this year. We have no idea what they were thinking. They did not have a lot of top talent in the T-Draft, so signing Joseph was about as good as they could hope for, but when it came to the Open Draft it was reach after reach. Maybe they thought that if they drafted players ahead of their grade, they would jump at the chance to play for the Showboats, but even that strategy did not work. Picking Marcedes Lewis with Vernon Davis still on the board was a complete head scratcher, and they couldn’t even sign him. They signed only 4 of 10 picks, and we don’t see a lot of help here. We are giving Memphis an F, only because there is no grade G. NASHVILLE KNIGHTS T-Draft Signees: QB Jay Cutler (Vandy), DE Parys Haralson (Tenn) 1st Round, Pick 16: C Nick Mangold (Ohio St), signed with NFL NY Jets. Open Draft Signings: WR Brandon Williams (Wisc), LB Brandon Johnson (Louisv), S Dawan Landry (Ga Tech), DT Babatunde Oshinowo (Stanford), P Sam Koch (Neb), G Max Jean-Gilles Draft Grade: If the Showboats were a clown car, Nashville put together a Rolls Royce draft. True, they failed to sign their 1st round pick, center Nick Mangold, but they landed 8 or 10 picks, which is top notch work by the front office, and better yet, they both acquired positions of immediate need (LB, S, DT) and may have set themselves up for a smooth transition if the rumors of Todd Collins’ impending retirement are true. Cutler is a bit raw, but he has a ton of talent in that arm. We give Nashville an A for this well-rounded draft and for the success in signing 8 of 10 picks. MICHIGAN PANTHERS T-Draft Signees: C Chris Morris (MSU), DT Domata Peko (MSU) 1st Round, Pick 17: HB Reggie Bush (USC), signed by NFL Saints. Open Draft Signings: G Isaac Sowells (IU), HB Leon Washington (FSU), LB Keith Ellison (Ore St), DT Kedrick Golston (UGA), G Dan Stevenson (NDame), K Matt Prater (UCF) Draft Grade: When Reggie Bush slid all the way to the Panthers, it created a dilemma. The club certainly could use a talent like Bush’s, but being drafted 17th meant that he would be very tough to sign if the NFL drafted him Top 5 as many thought they would. When the Saints made him the #2 overall pick there was no doubt Michigan would lose out on him. They recovered well, signing 6 of 7 Open Draft picks. While none of the signed players would have the cache of Reggie Bush, there are some really good value picks there, including Ellison, a tackling machine for the Beavers, and Golston, a very solid run-stuffer in Athens. We also think the Panthers were smart, recognizing that Bush may go to the NFL, they also picked a versatile HB in FSU’s Leon Washington in the 4th round. They landed Washington, so expect their offense to still use a rotation with Fred Jackson taking the lead, Ladell Betts getting the short yardage carries, and Washington playing a role on 3rd down. We give Michigan a B+ for a deep draft, even if they missed on their first pick. HOUSTON GAMBLERS (From Jacksonville) T-Draft Signees: DT Johnny Jolly (TAMU), S Willie Andrews (Baylor) 1st Round, Pick 18: TE Vernon Davis (Maryland), Signed a 4-year deal. Open Draft Signings: DE Victor Adeyanju (IU), FB Lawrence Vickers (Colo), T Tre’ Stallings (Ole Miss) Draft Grade: When Memphis shocked everyone by picking Marcedes Lewis over Vernon Davis, the Gamblers got to work and made a deal with Jacksonville to move up 6 spots and land the consensus “rare find” talent at tight end. Congratulations, Matt Hasselbeck, you have a middle-of-the-field weapon. Add him to a receiving corps with Antonio Freeman, Roy Williams, and Koren Robinson and this may be a Houston offense to rival the glory days of Kelly and Thomas. The run game did not get the help it needed, when 2nd round pick LenDale White of USC opted for the NFL, but overall this was a pretty solid draft. We like Adeyanju and Vickers to get in games early. Stallings and Jolly could also find themselves on the field in their rookie campaign. We will give Houston an A-, and kudos for going up to grab the guy they wanted. OAKLAND INVADERS T-Draft Signees: DE Justin Jenkins (Stanford), G Aaron Merz (Cal) 1st Round, Pick 19: CB Kelly Jennings (Miami), signed with NFL Seahawks. Open Draft Signings: QB Ingle Martin, HB Jerious Norwood, TE Quinn Sypniewski Draft Grade: Count Oakland as another club that had trouble signing their top picks. From the first 4 rounds, only HB Jerious Norwood in the 3rd signed with Coach Green’s club. Add to that a pretty unspectacular crop of grads from Cal and Stanford, and you end up with a pretty weak draft, one we don’t see helping the Invaders much this year. We have to give Oakland an F because they had 10 picks and we don’t see where they have improved. PITTSBURGH MAULERS (From Denver) T-Draft Signees: S Bernard Pollard (Purdue), DE Rob Ninckovich (Purdue) 1st Round, Pick 20: HB Laurence Maroney (Minn), Signed with NFL Patriots. Open Draft Signings: G Chris Kuper, DT Orien Harris, QB Brad Gradkowski Draft Grade: Losing Maroney to the NFL means that there is still no solution to the Terrell Davis situation. Davis is not getting any younger and now the Maulers have only 2nd year player Brandon Jacobs and journeyman Fred McAfee behind him. That is a problem, maybe not immediately, but Davis is seeing fewer and fewer carries each year. When we look at who Pittsburgh did sign (5 of 10 picks), we are not that impressed. Had they not been granted a 3rd team in the T-Draft (with Pitt and WVU producing very few players this year) they would have had a truly pawltry draft. Ninckovich is an interesting prospect, and Pollard could also help back up Sean Taylor, but that is about it. We will give Pittsburgh a D, which is not going to help them move back into playoff position in a tough Central Division. PHILADELPHIA STARS T-Draft Signees: HB Michael Robinson (PSU), S Calvin Lowry (PSU), G Tyler Reed (PSU) 1st Round, Pick 21: CB Antonio Cromartie (FSU), Signed for 3 years. Open Draft Signings: LB Chris Gocong (Cal Poly), DE Jeremy Mincey (Florida) Draft Grade: The Penn State pipeline to the Stars continues, though the Stars opted for signability and did not go for some of the bigger names available like Tamba Hali. They signed all three Nittany Lions, so that is good, and they also landed their 1st round pick, Seminole CB Antonio Cromartie, who we see starting opposite Quentin Jammer to create a very tough situation for opposing QBs. We also like Gocong to develop, coming out of a smaller school. A solid B overall. WASHINGTON FEDERALS T-Draft Signees: WR Marques Hagans (UVA), T Brad Butler (UVA) 1st Round, Pick 22: DE Mathias Kiwanuka (BC), Signed for 4 years. Open Draft Signings: WR Jason Avant (Mich), LB Omar Gaither (Tenn) Draft Grade: We are still somewhat shocked that the Federals did not take a shot at D’Brickashaw Ferguson in the T-Draft, but they had other priorities. They went for wideout, trying to find someone to line up along with Deion Branch. We are not sure Avant or Hagans are ready to start at this point, so it likely will still be veteran free agent Bobby Engram. We love the pick of Kiwanuka, who probably should not have fallen all the way to 22, but Washington will be happy he did. He will partner with last year’s rookie Erasmus James, and veteran Greg Spires in a 3-man rotation, with veterans Anthony McFarland and Kenard Lang filling up the middle. A solid addition. And don’t sleep on Gaither. He has a lot of athleticism and was disruptive at Tennessee. An A- for the Feds, which is a good grade for a team picking this late each round. TAMPA BAY BANDITS T-Draft Signees: CB Devin Hester (Miami), LB Leon Williams (Miami) 1st Round, Pick 23: T Winston Justice (USC), Signed for 4 years. Open Draft Signings: DE Elvis Dumervil (Louisville), QB Omar Jacobs (BGSU), TE Charles Davis Draft Grade: When you have Miami as your T-draft feeder school, you are always going to find talent. Some interesting choices by the Bandits. Rumor is they may try to move Hester, known for his speed, to wideout, or allow him to play both ways. What we know for sure is that he will be returning kicks and punts for the Bandits. Winston Justice is a big, strong tackle, perhaps best suited to play on the right side, which may mean that Marvel Smith is moving over to the left side. Tampa Bay signed 6 of 10, but we think they are kicking themselves that 2nd round pick Brian Calhoun, the speed back out of Wisconsin, got away. We give Tampa a solid B for basic competence here. JACKSONVILLE BULLS (From Houston Gamblers) T-Draft Signees: DT Broderick Bunkley (FSU), S Pat Watkins (FSU) 1st Round, Pick 24: WR Greg Jennings (WMU), Signed for 3 years. Open Draft Signings: G Willie Colon (Hofstra), TE Jeff King (Va Tech), QB Reggie McNeal (TAMU), DT Fred Evans Draft Grade: Thanks to having one of the top 3 edge rushers in their T-Draft, Jacksonville basically landed two first round talents, Bunkley and Jennings. We also really like Willie Colon as a mid-round signing. Not sure what J'Ville sees in Reggie McNeal, because they chose him ahead of more established options like Clemson’s Charlie Whitehurst or Alabama State’s Tarvaris Jackson. With two quality picks signed, we have to give the Bulls an A, but it is an A- because we are just not sure what else they have added. CHICAGO MACHINE T-Draft Signees: TE Anthony Fasano (NDame), WR Maurice Stovall (NDame) 1st Round, Pick 25: CB Jimmy Williams (Va Tech), Signed for 4 years. Open Draft Signings: T Charles Spencer (Pitt), DT LaJuan Ramsey (USC) Draft Grade: We think the two golden domers could develop into solid players, and Williams was a need pick at a position Chicago certainly had to fill, but overall there is not a lot of “pop” in this draft. No big name, no immediate impact that we can see. That for us is a problem, C-. SEATTLE DRAGONS T-Draft Signees: T Joe Toledo (Wash), WR Adam Jennings (Fresno) 1st Round, Pick 2: LB D’Qwell Jackson (Maryland), Signed for 3 years. Open Draft Signings: DT Jesse Mahelona (Tenn), G Paul McQuistan (Weber), WR Mike Hass (Or State) Draft Grade: The pick of Jackson seemed a bit of a stretch, but he likely would not have been there at the 52nd pick, so maybe it was a now-or-never move. Honestly, our favorite pick was McQuistan in the 3rd round, so that should tell you that we are not very excited about the additions made in the draft by the surprise League Champions. But, hey, maybe it will work out. We give them a C for now. FREE AGENCY UPDATE With the draft completed, the short span between draft day and the first preseason games once again was a whirlwind of activities as teams tried to lock in rookies, but as we see each year, the melt from the USFL draft through the NFL Draft and into training camp led to significant gaps in the rookie class for many USFL clubs, and that always leads to a late frenzy of free agency signings, with teams trying to patch holes in their roster or improve key positions. Due in part to the expansion process, we saw a larger-than-average pool of free agents unsigned until this post-draft period, but within the final weeks of the offseason, both in the USFL pool of free agents and in the NFL-USFL transfer window, there was a lot of action. Let’s first look at the USFL talent that has found a new home within the league, and then take a look at the top NFL players to make the jump, after a short down period, from NFL season to USFL season, including, for the third year in a row, a veteran QB. We begin with the 10 biggest USFL free agent signings of the last month. 10-WR Bobby Engram (PHI to WSH): After 5 seasons in Philly, and a 1-year “show me” contract in New Orleans, Engram joins the Federals a 3-year deal. Engram’s one year with the Breakers proved very beneficial, as the oft-overlooked receiver saw his targets jump to over 100 and his yardage hit exactly 1,000, his first career 1,000-yard season. That helped him garner a sizeable pay increase in his new contract, and helped Washington try once again to find a receiver to line up opposite Deion Branch. While youngsters like Courtney Roby and rookie Jason Avant might get some field time, we expect the Feds to stick with Engram and Branch as the primary receivers in their play-action scheme. 9-LB Dwayne Rudd (WSH to PIT): Coach Rivera continues to build his desired defense by adding a thumper in Rudd. The veteran LB who comes over from Washington, where he he had 89 tackles in 2005, will likely take an ILB position in the 3-4 Rivera wants to run, joining Nate Webster, Eddie Mason and John Odom in the LB group, though we also see Donnie Spragan and Kawika Mitchell also seeing some rotations as well. 8-WR Joe Jurevicious (BOS to BOS): The Cannons resign Jurevicious after a long wait in the free agency pool. The 5-year USFL vet (with several prior years in the NFL) will stay in Bean Town, where he had a breakout season last year with 1,143 yards as the #2 receiver behind Chad Ochocinco. His role will likely be very similar in 2006, but expect the Cannons to try to work in some younger options like Jerricho Cotchery, Cedric Wilson and Clarence Moore into the mix as well. 7-WR Cedric Tillman (WSH to NOR): One of two late-signings at wideout for the Breakers, Tillman will again play the role of the #2 option, but he moves from Kordell Stewart to Eli Manning. The Breakers become Tillman’s 8th team in his 15 seasons, the very definition of a journeyman having started his career in St. Louis (3 years), and then playing for Birmingham (4), Michigan (1), Ohio (1), Jacksonville (1), Houston (1), and Washington (3). Not quite ready to retire at 36, Tillman gives it another go with a 1-year deal to join the Memphis-Birmingham-Houston-Portland Breakers this year. 6-FB Chris Fuamatu Ma’afala (ORL to ATL): Halfbacks Rod Smart and Kevin Faulk of Atlanta are both elusive, but smaller backs, so getting them a powerful lead blocker was a priority, and Chris F-M certainly fits the bill. The 8-year vet of the Renegades is not a threat out of the backfield, but is certainly capable of taking on a linebacker to free up the ballcarrier. Expect to see some I-formation in Atlanta with him on the Fire roster. 5-DT Kenard Lang (ARZ to WSH): The Federals love a strong D-line, it is part of their tradition and their strategy in a competitive Northeast Division. Adding Lang, to line up with Anthony McFarland inside, and then put rookie Matthias Kiawanuka and 2nd year DE Erasmus James outside and the Federals like what they have, as they hope to be able to get pressure without blitzing, allowing them to flood the field with defenders in coverage and linebackers freed up to pursue the outside run. 4- SS Lawyer Milloy (BIR to TEX): Coach Mackovic continues to focus on defense, adding one of the best safeties in the league to his roster. Milloy, a 10-year vet, signed a 2-year deal to relocate to San Antonio, his 4th team after a 3-year stint in Birmingham. With the 3-time All-USFL safety lined up alongside FS Travares Tillman and corners Jimmy Hitchcock and Nathan Vasher, the Outlaws have built themselves what many would consider the best defensive backfield in the league. 3-DE Andre Wadsworth (BAL to ATL): The moment Birmingham drafted Mario Williams, a player Atlanta had targeted at #3 in the draft, they had to move to plan B to try to build a pass rush. Wadsworth has not been a consistent 10-sack contributor in Baltimore, but he was clearly the best option available to the Fire. They will almost certainly place the 8-year vet on the left side, with Denver acquisition Chris Kelsay on the right. 2-WR Keenan McCardell (ORL to NOR): McCardell was without doubt the best receiver available in the free agency pool all winter, and he was picky, but eventually the Breakers were able to provide terms, and a clear role on the team, that fit with McCardell’s desire to be a featured receiver. The 10-year vet will be the primary target for Eli Manning with the Breakers, with Cedric Tillman (acquired from Washington) likely lining up opposite him, and Az-Zahir Hakeem returning to the slot role where he excels. Expect Coach Nolan to use a lot of 3-receiver sets to maximize opportunities for all three receivers, and to spread the field for Troy Davis to be effective in a one-back offensive alignment. 1-LB Michael Barrow (WSH to NSH): We knew all along that Barrow would likely not go unsigned leading into the NFL-USFL transfer window. He was too much of a game-changer for a USFL club to let him go, and he certainly would have been a major target of the NFL as well. After visiting with three clubs in the past month, Barrow signed a 3-year deal to join the Nashville Knights, where he will certainly become a focal point for Coach Johnson’s defensive scheme. The 34-year-old Barrow may not be a 100-tackle guy, but he is an aggressive blitzer, and proficient in chasing down halfbacks. Expect Nashville to put him on the strong side and to set up blocking to free him to wreak havoc. Additional signings of note over the final month include: C Mike Devlin (ORL to BAL), QB Rick Mirer (TBY to STL), LB Rahim Abdullah (MEM to ATL), FB Casey Kramer (MEM to LV), HB Ahmaad Galloway (BIR to DEN), DE Tom Burke (BOS to JAX), FS Eric Brown (MGN to JAX), and DT Marcus Stroud (OHIO to LV). And we should not leave the free agency list without noting a few solid players who, rather than make a switch, decided to call it a career and announced retirements. Among those making late retirement announcements we saw Nashville G Todd Rucci, Texas SS Mike Minter, Baltimore C Matt Elliott, Pittsburgh G Rod Milstead, and, for the second time, Arizona LB Kevin Hardy. The Late-January and early-February NFL-USFL transfer window is often the option of last resort for teams that are still unsettled in key positions. While the August window almost always favors the NFL, the mid-winter window is usually when we see the bigger names shift form Fall football to the Spring. This was certainly the case this year, when August saw the departures from USFL to NFL of players like DE Eric Curry, SS Rodney Harrison, DTs Gilbert Brown and Renaldo Wynn, LB Chris Cowart, and halfbacks Reuben Droughns and Brian Westbrook. What has troubled the NFL, and something they are now openly discussing as a problem, is that the USFL seems to be targeting quarterbacks, and good ones, as they make their push for late signings in the Jan-Feb window. In 2004 it was Daunte Culpepper, last year it was Kurt Warner, and this year again we saw a veteran QB, one with several All-Pro accolades, jump from the NFL to the USFL. In all three cases, these veteran QBs were seen as heading into perhaps their final contract, but even so, for the NFL to lose quality veterans while at the same time seeing significant USFL success in signing rookie QBs means that the impression that the USFL as a more wide-open game, is causing the NFL to see a drain of QB talent is unlikely to be met well by the senior league. So, who was the NFL veteran to sign with the USFL this year? And with whom? Well, anyone who has been paying attention knows the answers to those two. Las Vegas, unable to trade up to #1 to get the rookie QB they wanted, Texas’s Vince Young, and uncertain at QB with recent CFL signing Henry Burress seen as the current starter, were in need of help. Add in Jerry Glanville’s desire to be seen as a newsmaker and to build a winner and quickly in the desert, and it makes sense that the Thunder would be the team to try to make a splash with an NFL QB signing. They did just that only 1 week before camp concluded, in the final days of the transfer window, signing 3-time All-Pro and 2000 MVP QB Steve McNair of the Houston Oilers. McNair, who was drafted by the Oilers out of Alcorn State, led the club for 10 seasons, including a Super Bowl win in 2003. But with Houston signing Texas standout Vince Young this year, McNair was clearly not happy, and found another option with the Thunder. While Henry Burris has been named the starter for the season opener, we fully expect that as soon as McNair is up to speed on the Thunder offense, he will supplant the CFL QB. It is a move that is intended to improve the Thunder offense, of course, but perhaps more importantly for the Thunder ownership and for Coach Glanville, it is a signing that is designed to increase talk of the Thunder and to make them a hotter ticket in the very fickle entertainment market in Sin City. Las Vegas needs to build a fanbase in the city, something they have struggled to do with Aaron Brooks at QB, and the hope is that McNair brings with him the cache of an NFL champion. But, of course, McNair was not the only signing of note this past month. Several other prominent NFL players made the leap and will sacrifice down time to start a new season only 10 weeks after the NFL season concluded. Among the most notable NFL signings by USFL clubs are the following: QB: Backup Jamie Martin joins Boston from the St. Louis Rams and former NY Giant Jesse Palmer will be Jake Delhomme’s backup in Jacksonville. HB: The Machine sign former KC Chief Derrick Blaylock to back up Michael Turner. WR: Cincinnati’s #1 receiver, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, unhappy with the frugality of the organization made good on his threat to leave in the offseason and now gets both the cash he was hoping for and the chance to sell himself in the country’s biggest media market, joining the New Jersey Generals. TE: Three solid signings as Saint Lamont Hall joins the Knights, Viking Jermaine Wiggins finds himself with Ohio, and Steeler Walter Rasby is the newest Memphis Showboat. OL: 49er C Brock Gutierrez goes down I-5 to join the Express in LA, while former Redskin Ethan Albright will stay in town with the rival Federals. Guard Ray Brown joins Albright in shifting from the Redskins to the Federals, a move that is sure to heat up the animosity between the two pro football teams in the nation’s capitol. Tackle Ed Ellis is the other noteworthy O-line defection, leaving the Giants for the desert in Arizona. DL: No top flight edge rushers make the leap, though Eric Flowers, who has potential but has been underutilized, leaves the Rams to join the Panthers. DT Chartric Darby jumps from the Bucs to the Jacksonville Bulls, and Ellis Johnson leaves the Broncos to provide depth in the D-line rotation for the Thunder. The biggest name to make the leap from the D-line has to be DT Luther Ellis, another Bronco, who move to Pittsburgh to play for Coach Ron Rivera. LB: Neither Carlos Polk (Chargers to Gamblers) or Keith Burns (Bucs to Knights) are expected to serve in backup roles with their new teams, but depth is always a good thing. DB: CB David Terrell leaves the Raiders for the Invaders and S Idrees Bashir joins the Bandits from the Colts. Bashir will likely battle Jorge Pratt for the starting position at SS with the Bandits. ST: Punter Bryan Barker leaves frigid Green Bay for sunny Jacksonville. And, of course, the NFL did not go entirely without any signings in the 2nd transfer window. Several older veterans, unable to find early homes in the USFL opted to join the NFL and get a longer recovery and rest before hitting the field next August. They include DT John Parella (NJ to the Raiders), Safety Mike Minter (TEX to the Cowboys), TE Marcus Pollard (PHI to the Colts), OT Andre Johnson (HOU to the Copperheads), and QB Will Furrer, who actually joined the Baltimore Ravens not as a player but as an assistant coach. The only surprise was the decision of QB Marques Tuiasosopo to leave the USFL, wait the extra 6 months, and then continue his career in Seattle, where he is expected to back up veteran Brad Johnson. In our second article we will break down all 26-USFL teams and look ahead to Week One of the season, but we leave you with our writer’s list of the 10 stories to follow this year as we look ahead to the 24th season of USFL football. 10—Which 4th place team can rise in 2006? We are going to exclude the two expansion teams from this topic and focus on the 6 clubs that finished last in their divisions last year: Birmingham, Las Vegas, Texas, Pittsburgh, Orlando, and New Jersey. Seems odd to include NJ here, so we won’t. That leaves 5 clubs, all last in their divisions, and all hoping they have done enough to make a leap this year. Looking over the 4, we put our money on two of the five. Pittsbugh is in a tough division, but they are only a year off from a 10-4 season, though with a new head coach a lot will change. We like that they have a veteran at QB, though admittedly Charlie Batch has been off-and-on over his career. They also have an All-USFL halfback and a pretty good crew of young receivers. The defense will be the project for Coach Rivera, but he has done it before and we think he can change the fortunes of the Maulers. The other team, one with perhaps an easier path, is the Las Vegas Thunder. Their two-win season in 2005 was about as bad as it gets, but we like the aggressive moves the Thunder have made this offseason, not the least of which was snagging a former NFL All-Pro to play QB. We may not see Steve “Air” McNair under center for a couple of weeks, but we think he will help provide a spark once he is ready to get in games. We also like the additions of DT Marcus Stroud (FA), A.J. Hawk (Draft), and Haloti Ngata (Draft) to help Jerry Glanville get a defense that can at least slow down opponents. Add the fact that the Pacific Division, despite the playoff run of the Dragons, is not considered an elite group, and we could envision a scenario where Las Vegas gets some early momentum and builds a solid season, perhaps even a playoff season, this year. 9—Which Expansion Club will win more games in 2006? So hard to tell before the first game is played. St. Louis appears to have more options in the run game, and they have a coach who has helped develop a winner before in Art Shell, but Atlanta is more settled at QB, with Jeff Lewis capable of leading the squad to some early success. We honestly would be shocked if either team were able to manage more than 4-5 wins, and a season with 2 or 3 is very likely. But if we had to pick one, we think Atlanta may have a more favorable schedule in the Southeast than St. Louis has in the Central, where they have to deal with Ohio, Chicago and Michigan 6 times. 8—Can Matt Leinart keep Denver relevant in the Southwest? It is always tough when a rookie has to replace a longstanding and revered player who has retired. That is even tougher at the QB position, just as Jason Campbell how his 2005 season went. We like Leinart as a good fit in Denver, and there is certainly talent on both sides of the ball for the Gold, so the USC rookie will not be asked to carry the team on his back, but we still expect Denver to struggle in a division where all three division foes seem to have gotten better this offseason. 7—Who has the inside track for Rookie of the Year? As tempting as it is to pick Matt Leinart, it seems unlikely that he will have the kind of rookie year we saw from others like Byron Leftwich or Brett Favre. It is just such a hard position to excel at early, especially for a more cerebral and less physically gifted player. The position that lends itself to immediate success tends to be the halfback position, as we saw last year with Frank Gore’s outstanding season. So, who is the runner in position for immediate success? We don’t have any rookies who have been handed the lead back position, but one who could see a good share of carries, and will have every opportunity to get into games is Los Angeles’s Maurice Jones-Drew. Jones-Drew will split carries with DeShaun Foster, but Coach Jackson has said that he wants a running back committee to keep all backs fresh for the latter stages of the season. So, while he is not destined for a 1,000-yard season, Jones-Drew may have the best shot at making a good first impression. If not him, then defenders like Haloti Ngata, A.J. Hawk, Tamba Hali or DeMeco Ryans could be in the running. 6—Which player will bounce back from a bad 2005 to find success in 2006? A lot of players are hoping that their fortunes improve in the new season, but when we look for players who took a dip in 2005 and are hoping to bounce back, the obvious choice is Terrell Davis in Pittsburgh. Davis, who had 6 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons between 1999-2004, dipped to only 736 yards and saw his carries drop from 308 in 2004 to only 197 last season. This was partly due to migraine issues, which forced him to miss plays, but also due to the ineffectiveness of the Pittsburgh offense. If the Maulers can get some semblance of a passing game going, Davis has the talent to once again be among the league leaders, that is if turning 30 does not cause the dreaded halfback cliff to take hold. 5—Which coaches start the year on the hotseat? Usually not a hard thing to figure out. We look at who underperformed in 2005 and yet returns this year. The first name on everyone’s lips is Birmingham’s Dennis Franchione, who went 8-6 in his first year with the club, but then stumbled to a 4-10 and a 2-12 season the past two years. Part of this can be attributed to roster turnover, especially at QB, but if Franchione does not prove he can develop his young QB, Jason Campbell, and produce at least 6-8 wins this year, we cannot see him returning to Legion Field in 2007. Others who may be on thin ice include Mike Nolan with the Breakers and Jim Fassel in Arizona. Nolan has a herculean task in trying to keep his Breakers on task with all the upheaval Katrina has caused to their lives, their city, and their team’s plans for the year. He may get a pass as long as the Breakers remain competitive despite all the distrcations. Fassel has to show that he can return to the immediate success he had in his first year with the Wranglers. Last year’s collapse needs to be an anomaly and not a trend. 4—Which quarterbacks are playing for their USFL careers? It sounds harsh, but the truth is that no other position is as scrutinized as that of Quarterback, so no other position can be as unforgiving. We see three different QB’s for whom 2006 is a make or break season. The first is Jason Campbell. A bad sophomore year, after a pretty atrocious rookie campaign, and he could immediately be considered a bust. And, with the 2007 draft likely to have as many as 5 QB’s considered 1st or 2nd round options, headed by LSU’s JaMarcuss Russell and Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn, it would be a bad time for Campbell to be questioned as a potential bust. Charlie Batch is another quarterback under a lot of pressure to prove himself. Batch has led Pittsburgh to the playoffs, but most folks point to other aspects of the team as the reason for those runs, with Batch often viewed as more of a problem than a problem-solver. Another bad year at Heinz Field and Batch could easily lose the support of Coach Ron Rivera. Finally, we have to look at Todd Collins in Nashville. The consummate “game manager”, Collins has been a solid contributor for the Knights, but now that they have drafted Jay Cutler, whose are is a lot more lively, there is a chance that Collins’s game management skills will be pressured to do more or for Nashville to see just what they have in Cutler, a quarterback with more upside to be sure. 3—Can Seattle Do it Again? We are not asking if they can win the title again, we just want to know if they can simply win the division? They were a Wild Card at 6-8 last year before their unforeseen playoff magic took them all the way to a title. One would assume they must be the best team in the Pacific, but they finished 2 games behind Oakland, and the Invaders have no intention of giving up just because Seattle had a good run. We also think LA has too much talent to fade from consideration, and we already said that Las Vegas looks like a team that could take a leap. Seattle’s position is precarious. They lost some good players this offseason and they still have not really addressed some of the bigger needs on their roster. They will need some more magic to stay on top this year. 2—Is Ohio’s run over? When they won back to back titles, including an undefeated 2002 season, we thought for sure that we were looking at a dynasty that could define the decade, but the past two seasons, but Ohio has gone from 14-0 in 2002 to 11 wins in 2003, 10 wins in 2004, and 9 wins (without a playoff spot) in 2005. Is the dynasty gone so quickly? On paper the offense is as scary as ever, and adding Ohio State wideout Santonio Holmes could provide the Glory with the 1-2 punch they lost when Chad Ochocinco left for Boston. But Eddie George is not getting any younger, the O-line has seen some defections, and the defense has never achieved elite status. Ohio is still a solid team that could certainly rebound, but with Chicago and Michigan right on their heels, it will not be a given that Ohio returns to the playoffs this year. 1—Who is this year’s player to watch? If you have to watch one player, someone who will astound and amaze, it might have to be Frank Gore in Nashville. Yes, he is not an unknown after his Rookie of the Year campaign, but knowing how Coach Johnson loves to use the run game, and knowing that most backs do better in their second year, after finally getting a full offseason, the sky is the limit for Gore. Of course, last year we said this about Larry Fitzgerald after a strong 2004 in Arizona, and his production dropped. We expect a rebound from Fitzgerald, if Plummer can stay healthy, and we see Gore as a different case. Unlike a receiver, who is dependent on his QB for production (production that did not come for Fitzgerald once Plummer was hurt), a running back can largely make or break his own season even if the QB is only middling. Were we in a 16-game season, we could actually see Gore challenging Herschel Walker’s 23-year-old rushing title. With only 14 games, we still think that 1,500 yards is quite possible.

It has been two months since we last checked in on the USFL, and a lot has happened. From the league response to Katrina to the Expansion Draft, more free agent signings, and now draft preparation, the USFL has been busy and remains busy during this most unusual offseason. We will start with our Katrina news and then review the Expansion Draft and the look of the league’s two new franchises, as well as the impact on the 24 existing clubs. We will end with some news out of Portland and a preview of the upcoming Collegiate Drafts. USFL Responds to Katrina and plans for Breaker Season It has 4 months since Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, and we are all acutely aware that the cleanup and redevelopment of many areas along the coast, including the New Orleans metro area, is just beginning. The USFL has had two major initiatives over these past months, first setting up a coordinated support campaign in alignment with the NFL, the City of New Orleans, the State of Louisiana, FEMA, and the Red Cross. It was announced in late October that $5 from every USFL game ticket sold this year will go directly to Katrina relief efforts, USFL teams will also wear a helmet sticker for all games to promote the efforts to assist New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, and a special edition of team-specific and league t-shirts and sweatshirts will be produced by Reebok, with all revenue going to Katrina relief. The NFL has begun similar initiatives, as have the NBA New Orleans Hornets. The second team working on post-Katrina planning has been the league team working with the owners of the Breakers to determine how to handle this season. League officials in November approved a plan to support the Breakers financially, providing a greater share of television revenue to the Breakers this year to compensate for the anticipated loss of revenue from ticket sales and other Breaker revenue (suspended sponsorships from impacted local businesses, etc.) for the 2006 season. The league also approved the plan put forward by the ad hoc committee working on the Breaker schedule. This group, led by David Dixon and Coach Mike Nolan of the Breakers, but containing representatives from 6 different USFL clubs, has the breakers essentially splitting their season into two parts. The first 6 weeks will feature the team playing three “home” games in the region. The team will hold camp and maintain a permanent base in Little Rock, Arkansas, using the facilities of the U. of Arkansas-Little Rock as their hub, but will have three home games at regional stadiums shared with other USFL Teams. Week 1 the Breakers are the home team against division rival Nashville. That game will be played in Birmingham’s Legion Field, as the Stallions are in Oakland that weekend. Similarly, in Week 4, the Breakers host the New Jersey Generals. This game will be played at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, as the Showboats travel to Jacksonville that weekend. Finally, in Week 6 the Breakers face the Stallions. That game will be played at Houston’s NRG Field, home to last summer’s Summer Bowl. Houston will face Nashville on Friday Night, and local fans get a double header that weekend, with New Orleans taking on the Stallions on Sunday. But, the UA-LR option would not work for the full year, and there were major issues with use of the stadia in Birmingham, Memphis, Houston and other USFL cities as early spring morphed into summer and the range of outdoor events held at the stadia started to clutter the calendar. What the USFL needed, and what the Breakers insisted was necessary for team cohesion and fair play, was a hub location that could host the team for practices and games, allowing them to remain in the same city for the entire remainder of the season. After looking at potential options at LSU in Baton Rouge, the University of Misssissippi in Oxford, and Dallas, Texas, it was determined that none of these options would work for the Breakers. It was looking grim until the PDX Group, who recently were granted an expansion team for Portland in 2008, jumped in to pitch that their facilities, which are scheduled to be fully completed and operational by mid-April, 2006, could host the Breakers for the 2006 season. The still-unnamed franchise in Portland would be able to benefit by gearing up their local staff and support team in 2006, a year earlier than the expansion club had originally planned, and with a brand new stadium and practice facility completely unoccupied in the Spring and Summer of 2006 (the first scheduled event for the stadium was a concert by the band Snow Patrol in mid-September), the Breakers would have full run of the facility. The plan called for tickets to be sold to the “Portland” Breakers games in Weeks 8, 9, 10, and 12 to be sold at a significantly reduced cost, enough to support the local staffing and gameday crews, while providing an opportunity for Portlanders to get low cost access to the league they would soon be rejoining in force. For the Breakers, it means a significantly greater distance from their fanbase, but it was an opportunity to have a singe home, a more stable 8 weeks than the opening 6, and to avoid more complications of sharing facilities, training sites, and housing in a variety of cities. The plan was approved by a 20-4 vote by the owners, and we anticipate that ticket sales in all 4 “home” sites will begin in earnest, with the three Southern cities offering 1-game packages while Portland will offer both 1-game packages and a 4-game mini-season for their temporary, adopted team. EXPANSION DRAFT RECAP Moving from the displaced Breaker franchise to the league’s two newest franchises, October saw the league conduct its first expansion draft since 1995, with Atlanta and St. Louis selecting 30 players from current USFL rosters, each current team able to initially protect 12 core players and also claim one more protected player each time a player was chosen from their unprotected pool. The process allowed for a balanced approach, as no team could lose more than 5 players before their roster would be shut off from the drafting Fire and Skyhawk franchises. By the end of the day, only New Orleans and Philadelphia reached the 5-player cap, while only Memphis escaped with no players chosen off their roster (which could be a positive or could be read as a bad sign of their depth of quality). The first player chosen, selected by the Fire, was LB Na’il Diggs of Nashville, while St. Louis selected veteran DE Santana Dotson from the Bandits. Both clubs added 2 USFL quarterbacks, with Atlanta taking former Texas starter Jeff Lewis and Philadelphia’s developmental QB David Garrard, while the Skyhawks opted for Nashville’s young Luke McCown and LA’s Quincy Carter. Both teams are expected to have open QB competitions, with both also planning to add a third QB either through the draft or free agency. Atlanta has already signed NFL QB Sage Rosenfels, but could add a 4th if there is a target in the draft. St. Louis has a 3rd spot open, and is likely considering a QB with one of their early draft picks. Both clubs seemed to focus on players under 30, with a smattering of quality veterans in the mix as well, and both did what we anticipated, blending higher cost players with some bench players who will fill out their roster at lower expense, allowing them ample funds within the salary cap for the remaining free agency and upcoming rookie draft as well as the NFL-USFL Transfer Window. Looking over the rosters of both teams, here are the players we expect could make a big impact for both clubs in their inaugural seasons. ATLANTA FIRE On offense, the big names signed by the Fire, in addition to their two QBs, include HBs Kevin Faulk (BAL), Wideouts Josh Reed (NOR), David Tyree (NJ), and Kevin Curtis (NOR), and TEs Jim Kliensasser (CHI) and Matt Schobel (TEX). The Fire QB will likely set up behind a line that includes tackles Willie Anderson (SEA) and Max Starks (MGN), guards Evan Mathis (MGN) and Will Whittaker (BOS), and center Jim Pyne (Free agent signing). On defense, in addition to Diggs at LB, we think we will see a lot of free agent signees Eric Warfield (CB) and Terreal Bierria (SS), along with Expansion Draft transfers Jerome Woods (FS-JAX), DE Derick Burgess (PHI), DT Jason Ferguson (ARZ), CB Aaron Beasley (OAK), and DE Chris Kelsay (DEN). The LB Corps should be interesting as Atlanta also added Corey Miller from the Wranglers, Scott Fujita from the Panthers, and Antwan Peek from the Glory. The only special teams player signed was Panther kicker, Josh Scobee, as it seems the Fire are trying to snag several of Coach LeBeau’s best from Michigan. ST. LOUIS SKYKHAWKS After starting their Expansion Draft with Santana Dotson, Coach Shell and the Skyhawks spent their next two picks on defense as well, adding SS Je’Rod Cherry from Houston’s outstanding D, and DT Pat Riley from the Breakers. Also making up the early depth chart on defense we find LB Craig Powell (OHI), LB Wali Rainier (BIR), LB Brandon Short (CHI), DT Larry Triplett (LA), FS David Gibson (LV), and CB Nate Jones (TEX). These players will join NFL signees LB Marlon Greenwood and DE Bryce Fisher, as well as USFL free agent signees DE Eddie Freeman and FS Tyrone Drakeford. On offense, Coach Gruden will build a run game with one of the best blocking fullbacks in the game, Vontae Leach (NSH) out in front. Behind Leach will be free agent Larry Johnson, formerly with Arizona, as well as former Renegade R.J. Redmond. Out wide will be Tim Dwight, picked up in free agency, along with expansion draft transfers Taylor Jacobs (OAK), Bryant Johnson (WSH), and Lance Moore (BOS). At Tight End the Skyhawks added Fred Baxter of Orlando and Patrick Estes from Birmingham. The Skyhawk line will likely feature guard Jeffrey Fisher (TEX), tackle Ross Verba (TBY), and center Olin Kreutz (HOU). St. Louis also added Wrangler guard Tre Johnson prior to the draft in free agency. The Skyhawks also added a kicker from the full pool of USFL options, snagging another Wrangler in kicker Rob Bironas. Unsurprisingly neither team used one of their 30 picks to sign a punter as this position will likely go to a rookie or a free agent later this winter. So, what do we think of these two teams? We know that neither is exactly jam-packed with elite players, but there are solid contributors across the board thanks to the format of the expansion draft. Starting off with Jeff Lewis at QB, we think Atlanta might have a slight edge in the passing game, but if St. Louis goes with Quincy Carter as a dual-threat QB, and behind Leach at FB, the combo of Carter, Redmond and Larry Johnson could work for the SkyHawks (who will be better on the ground somehow). Not a lot of blazing speed at WR for either team, but both Josh Reed and Taylor Jacobs have been reliable targets with their former teams and could morph into #1 guys. The receiver who most intrigues us is Skyhawk selection Lance Moore, who has shown some flashes as a member of the Cannons. The key to offensive production for either team may be how quickly these newly cobbled-together lines begin to gel. That will be a challenge, though, having an All-USFL center in Jim Pyne may give Atlanta an edge here. On defense, both clubs went for speed over strength, but in Santana Dotson, the Skyhawks may have themselves a legit edge threat. Atlanta may struggle a bit in that department, as neither Burgess or Kelsay have yet to show us a lot as edge rushers. The rosters, while now at about 35-40 players each, still have some room to add talent, and we expect both clubs to be active down the stretch, in the college draft, USFL free agency, and the NFL-USFL transfer window, so the die is not yet cast. While we don’t see either of these teams as immediate playoff contenders, we also don’t see them as patsies. A 4-5 win season could be a very good start for these clubs. Free Agency Picks Up after Expansion Draft As expected, the moment the expansion draft ended and signed players were protected from poaching by the two new clubs, the other 24 USFL franchises started making signings. In the first week after the draft we saw 35 signings and the pace has not died down much. Here is our run-down of the 10 most interesting signings to date. 10— QB Jeff Smoker (MGN to PHI): There were very few quarterbacks available this year in the free agent pool, and most fall either into the developmental mold or the veteran backup mold. Jeff Smoker definitely falls into the former. A solid game manager, Smoker has learned from his time behind Drew Brees, and could learn even more with veteran Kurt Warner ahead of him. 9— QB Seneca Wallace (BAL to LA): Seneca Wallace is an athletic player who could develop his accuracy a bit more. Not all that different from Quincy Carter, the player he will replace for the Express. If Cade McNown continues to have injury issues, as he has the past few years, we very well could see Wallace getting some starts for the Express. 8— LB Rahim Abdullah (MEM to ATL): Abdullah is a good sideline-to-sideline pursuer, better in coverage than as a blitzer, and consistent agains the run. He should earn a starting spot for the expansion Fire. 7— LB Dwayne Rudd (WSH to PIT): A bit slow, but a big hitter. Coach Rivera likes aggression in his defenses, and Rudd can knock the ball out or take a big back to the ground, two things that will work well for him in what we expect to be a refocused Mauler defense. 6— TE Marcus Pollard (PHI to ORL): A veteran with good ball skills and a decent blocker. He is not the fastest TE in the game, but he finds ways to get open. He could be a good safety valve for Jeff Blake. 5— WR R. Jay Soward (ARZ to JAX): We rank this move so high because we are somewhat perplexed by it. Jacksonville clearly overpaid for Soward based on his past production. He is practically making Anquan Boldin money and has little to explain why in his track record. Either the Bulls see something they think they can exploit, or they panicked and overspent on a role player. 4— DT Kenard Lang (BIR to WSH): Ever since being spoiled by the best at the position, Jerome Brown, the Federals have been trying to recapture the magic of a DT who could also pressure the QB. Lang is athletic, and can be successful in penetration, but he also tends to overcommit and give up running lanes. 3— SS Lawyer Milloy (BIR to TEX): Texas gets a consummate pro and a pretty heavy hitter in Milloy. He will be a very good addition to a pretty solid defense in San Antonio. This plus the trade (outlined below) to bring in Kailee Wong could be a sign that Texas is trying to become the next defensive power. 2— WR Keenan McCardell (ORL to NOR): With Josh Reed selected by Atlanta in the Expansion Draft, New Orleans (regardless of where they play) needed a taller, go-get-it receiver. For all that Az-Zahir Hakeem can do, red zone jump balls is not a strength, whereas McCardell is a very solid 50/50 ball guy who is a great redzone target. He may only play 1-2 more seasons, but the Breakers will benefit by having him. 1— LB Michael Barrow (WSH to NSH): One of the best free agents available this year, Barrow is a playmaker and a gamechanger. Add him to Jim Johnson’s already solid defense, and his aggressive scheme, and Barrow will likely make All-USFL in his final year or two in the league. A scary prospect for the other teams in the Southern Division. So, with these names off the list, and with a pretty hefty NFL signing pool in August, is there talent left to be had over the next 2 months? Yes, of course. Here is our Dirty Dozen, the 12 best players remaining in the USFL free agent pool ahead of the NFL-USFL Transfer Window and the final 6 weeks before camps open. FB Theron Wilson (HOU): The Gamblers are still hoping to resign the big bruising fullback, but he has received interest from several other teams. CB Mike Riley (OHIO): We thought Riley was ready to sign with Boston but apparently his demands were a bit outside of their price range. Not too late for others to get into the conversation. DT John Parella (NJ): A bit of a surprise. Not much of a pass-rusher, but strong against the run, something many teams could benefit from. A potential NFL steal if not signed by mid-January. FB Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala (ORL): Another quality blocker, though not much of a threat out of the backfield. At 31 and with concerns about his knees and back, he may have to settle for a “prove yourself” contract. TE Ken Dilger (SEA): A mainstay of Seattle’s passing attack these past few years, but clearly outplayed by his teammate Jeramy Stevens this year. Dilger can still find use with a team that wants to use multiple formations and needs good hands on 3rd down. WR Cedrick Tillman (WSH): Tillman has had some success in Washington, but he also has a tendency to make some tough catches while bumbling seamingly easy ones. Lack of focus is the concern. Speed is there, but can he be relied on at key times in the game? C Matt Elliott (BAL): Elliott is not ready to retire at 34, but it seems the Blitz want to move to a more technical and perhaps more athletic center, so he is available. A team with a more traditional focus on inside runs and basic pocket protections could do much worse than Elliott at the position. G Rod Milstead (PIT): Could resign with Pittsburgh, but was hoping that there would be a market for him as a proven pass protector. Surprised that neither expansion team has landed him. LB Kevin Hardy (ARZ): He came out of (a short) retirement to play for Arizona last year but had a horrible year. The Wranglers cut him loose, and now he is having trouble shaking off the truly poor play of the past season, despite several very high quality years not that long ago. QB Marques Tuiasosopo (LA): The Express brought him in as a project. He actually made it into a few games, but struggled, and now his pro football life may come down to another team believing he still has potential to grow into a viable starter. Not sure who is buying into that concept right now. WR Bobby Engram (NOR): Had some strong games, but lacks great speed and is not as precise a route runner as teams want in a mid-range guy. Could return to New Orleans if he is willing to take a pay cut, but he is hoping for more. QB Ken Dorsey (TBY): Dorsey struggled in the few opportunities he had to take the field with Tampa Bay. His college career was solid, but he is neither as athletically gifted nor as analytical on the field as many would like to see from a backup. His best option might be to wait out the draft and see if any teams are unable to sign the big name rookies like Leinart, Young, or Cutler. TRADING BLOCK While the trading block has not exactly been on fire, there have been some interesting moves, particularly following the Expansion Draft, when teams suddenly discovered new holes in their rosters that were not there previously. No blockbusters, no activity yet involving the 1st round of the draft (that usually comes in the week before the draft), but plenty of moves that will impact clubs across the league. Here is our pick of the most interesting trade action so far this offseason. Chicago needed LB depth after losing both Brandon Short and Jorge Cordova in the E.D., Tampa Bay had seen Ken Dorsey enter free agency, so getting a backup behind Culpepper was essential, so the trade of QB Ray Lucas to the Bandits for LB Dereck Smith makes a lot of sense for both teams. Chicago already had Tony Banks and Kyle Orton lined up behind Jeff George, so sending Lucas off worked for them, and Tampa had a solid LB group that could afford one defection. Good deal both ways. Memphis and Michigan also pulled off a trade that helped both clubs, as Michigan sent WR MarTay Jenkins to the receiver-weak Showboats, and got a decent swing tackle in Sean Bubin back from the Showboats. Another win-win trade, though certainly helping Memphis out a bit more since their receiving corps has been just horrible since Joe Horn left. Birmingham doing something unexpected for them, bolstering their RB group. They sent a 4th rounder this year and a 5th rounder next year to Boston to acquire young HB Marion Barber. Barber had essentially sat behind both Tiki Barber and Mike Cloud in his rookie year, garnering a grand total of 2 carries all year. He absolutely had talent in college, and could be groomed to help lighten the load for Shaun Alexander this year. Orlando helped their O-line, but had to give up a 2nd round pick to do it. They sent the pick to Nashville to acquire center Todd McClure. If Mclure slots in as a starter, as very well could happen, then perhaps it is a bargain. With Jake Grove ahead of him in Nashville, the Knights could afford to make the deal and land an early round pick to address other issues. Nashville made a 2nd player-for-pick move, sending HB Cedric Houston to the LA Express for a 3rd rounder, so expect the Knights to either go for youth this year or to parlay multiple picks into a move up in the draft. Could they be trying to get into the QB hunt, expecting Todd Collins to retire soon or just wanting an insurance policy after he missed games with injuries this past season? Another player-for-pick move was agreed upon between the League Champion Dragons and the Baltimore Blitz, as B’more sends DT Paul Grasmanis to the Dragons and picks up an additional 3rd rounder. Grasmanis was a frequent contributor in Baltimore’s 3-4, despite sitting behind Jeff Zgonina, so his departure must mean that Baltimore like the development of 2006 rookie Atiyyah Ellison to become the 2nd DT in the rotation. A 2-for-1 deal between the Denver Gold and the New Jersey Generals, one that also brings one of the Gold’s draft picks back home. New Jersey sends Denver center Ben Claxton, and returns to the Gold their 2nd round pick in 2006, a pick they had obtained last year, and in return the Generals acquire both FS Tony Driver and WR Brandon Stokely. Right now it seems the Generals get the better of this deal, but let’s see what the Gold do with that 2nd rounder before we fully judge this a one-sided trade. Finally, our favorite swap of the offseason to date, as Oakland and Texas both give up a player they really like to get a player they really need. Texas sends the Invaders DE Justin Smith, their best pass-rushing DE, but in return get a rising star in Oakland’s LB corps, Kailee Wong. Both players are fringe All-USFL quality, and both are well-liked in the locker room, but both will also be immediate impact players in their new homes. Texas still has veterans Bob Kuberski and Dimitrius Underwood at DE, and has young athletic players in Bo Schobel and Trent Cole who may see more action, but by getting Wong, they add a sure tackler and a good LB in coverage. Expect Wong to line up alongside Tarek Salah and Jamie Winborn, though rumors are that Texas is also seeking a rookie LB to fill out the 4-3, maybe even a 1st rounder. In Oakland, Smith will quickly move over to LDT, pursuing the QB’s blind side, which allows Israel Idonije to move to his more natural position on the right side. They can afford to lose Wong since the Invaders have a very solid group at LB with Roosevelt Colvin, Dan Morgan, Henri Crockett. Backups Derrick Rodgers and Tully Banta-Cain provide depth, so it was clearly a move to improve a key need in the pass rush, and one that should not profoundly impact a solid LB group. DRAFT PREVIEW With the draft about a month away, we are now in the silly season of mock drafts and teams throwing up smokescreans. We are not going to play that game. Rather than try to actually guess where the best players will end up, we will tell you where they should want to go, the situation where they would fit best and be most likely to find immediate success and playing time. We will stick with the Top 20 players that our analysts, led by former USFL QB and Coach Rick Neuheisel and former All-USFL TE Shannon Sharpe, believe should be the first 20 off the board. And just to keep this from looking like a mock draft, we won’t go 1-20, we will group them by position: QUARTERBACK Three of our Top 20 are quarterbacks. We are looking at USC’s Matt Leinart, Vandy’s Jay Cutler, and the possible #1 overall pick, Texas QB Vince Young. And while there is no shortage of teams that could use an upgrade at the position, not every QB is a good fit for every offense. Let’s start with Young. He is big, athletic, not afraid to run, and can make the deep throws. He should be a Week 1 starter, and the best option to maximize that is to go with one of the expansion teams, even if that means not getting a lot of support right out of the gate. Between an Art Shell offense and a Jay Gruden offense, we think Young would do better with the more innovative Gruden, so Atlanta is our pick. For Matt Leinart, the situation is very different. Put him behind a week line and he will not look good. Give him time, a good pocket, and a run game, and he could excel. So we see him headed to a team that has a lot of pieces in place and just needs a QB to make it all happen. The obvious choice here is Denver, where Mark Brunell’s retirement leaves a pretty solid team in search of a new QB. Problem is that Denver picks 20th, and that is too far to fall. Unless Denver makes a move into the top 10, we don’t see Leinart with the Gold, maybe with Pittsburgh as an option. Finally there is Jay Cutler. Our vision for Cutler is that he would do best to sit behind a savvy vet for a year or two, to really learn the pro game. He has a cannon, but his head may not quite be ready yet. Looking at the Top 10 picks, the best situation that would let Cutler sit for a year is likely in Texas, where he could be a protégé to Trent Dilfer. But if Texas goes defense, as we suspect they want to, then perhaps Arizona, picking 6th, would prepare for Jake Plummer’s retirement by bringing in a young QB to learn under him. HALFBACK USC has two top-graded backs in Reggie Bush and LenDale White. But they are very different players. Bush is big plays, sweet moves, and good hands. White is ground and pound, one cut, bowl over defenders. Those are two very different styles. We see Bush as more of a Top 10 pick for a team looking for explosiveness, while White could be a late 1st round signing. For Bush, the best fit is a club that uses the backs in the passing game and has a QB who will keep him from carrying the rock 30 times a game. That sounds a lot like LA to us. Yes, they have DeShaun Foster, but if they pick Bush in the T-Draft (He is at USC, after all), he could do a lot worse than to play with LA’s Cade Mcnown. As for White, we would love to see him go to Pittsburgh at #7. He could split time with one of the greats in Terrell Davis, and then take over for him next year. But, again, we think Coach Rivera will go defense in round one, so that means we need a 2nd option. How about New Orleans at #10? The Breakers need a big back to pair with Troy Davis. They have not been the same without Ricky Williams, so New Orleans would be a good opportunity for White. RECEIVER The only wideout to make our Top 20 is Ohio State’s Santonio Holmes. Fast, but also quick, Holmes needs to go to a team that will open up the field. He does not fare as well against double coverage, so a team that can split him out in a spread formation would be a good option. Looking at the draft, we think mid-round, and the best option there is Michigan, with Hines Ward and Laverneus Coles helping to keep the safeties occupied. OFFENSIVE LINE A group clearly led by Virginia LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Just on name alone I would want to pick him. Also in this group is Oklahoma guard Davin Joseph. No team would be a bad fit for Ferguson, but we could easily see him becoming an icon in St. Louis with Art Shell as his head coach. The big man would be the piece around which Shell would build an traditional run & vertical ball offense. Davin Joseph is more likely to be closer to pick 20 than pick 1, but there are certainly teams that could use a guard of his quality, teams like Nashville, Michigan, and our pick, Seattle. TIGHT END Normally we would not expect a tight end to make the Top 20, but Maryland’s Vernon Davis is not your standard TE. Big enough to be a guard, but quick enough to be a back, Davis could be a goldmine for a club that knows how to use his skillset. We love the idea of Davis going to a team with solid outside receivers but no inside game. That describes one offense more than any other, the Houston Gamblers. Pair Davis with the combo of Freeman and Roy Williams and suddenly Houston has a trio that is hard to defend. DEFENSIVE LINE Three ends and two tackles make our list, making this the biggest group. At DE the debate is between NC State gamechanger Mario Williams, FSU’s Kamerion Wimberly, and Penn State’s Tamba Hali. At DT, we like Haloti Ngata from Oregon and FSU’s Brodrick Bunkley as first round picks. Any of these three could go #1 overall to Atlanta, or could slip out of the top 10. We think Williams goes first, but we don’t think it is to Atlanta. We think they go QB, which leaves Birmingham in 2nd place licking their chops to get themselves a dynamic duo with Mike Rucker on the other side. So, after Williams, we look at Tamba Hali, and we look at another team trying to build up their pass rush, New Jersey at #11 may be a bit late, but if they trade up, they might be able to snag Hali, and once again have an edge rusher that opponents fear. Finally, there is Wimberly from FSU. We just don’t expect him to make it to the open draft. FSU is a Jacksonville protected school and, despite the fact that there are a lot of talented Seminoles coming out this year, the Bulls would be fools not to name and then woo heavily the FSU edge rusher. The two DTs are an interesting pair. When Las Vegas won the right to use a 3rd protected school, a decision made by the league when it was clear that Utah and UNLV were not an adequate pool, we are pretty sure that the reason they picked Oregon was not nostalgia for their days in Portland, but because Ngata would be there. No way they let him reach the open draft. So, what about Bunkley? He is another FSU player, so Jacksonville could pounce, but we think they will focus on Wimberly, and that may leave Bunkley open. If that is the case, then a good option would be Texas at #4, or maybe Arizona at #6. Both clubs could use more inside D-line muscle. LINEBACKER Another pretty deep group, but in the top 20 we find 3 we like: Iowa’s Chad Greenway, Ohio State’s Bobby Carpenter, and another Buckeye, A.J. Hawk. Sorry, Ernie Sims, but you just missed the cut. Hawk is probably the only surefire Top 10 pick in the bunch. Several teams in those first 10 picks could certainly use the Buckeye product, but we think it comes down to Las Vegas, Texas and Arizona. Of those three, he will have the fastest path to full time PT if he heads to San Antonio. Chad Greenway, from Iowa, could be a find for a team in the teens, and of those teams, Ohio would be the best fit. They need more aggression in their defense, but smart aggression. And finally, it is possible that Bobby Carpenter slips all the way down to #21 and the Philly Stars, which would actually be a very good fit for him. DB: Texas safety Michael Huff and Ohio State’s Donte Whitner are 1 and 2, with a third just eking his way in, CB Antonio Cromartie of FSU. Honestly, Cromartie might be the toughest to place because there is no team that could not add a top flight corner to their defensive backfield. The question becomes which team needs to draft one right away. Our answer? Chicago. The retirement of R.W. McQuarters makes CB a necessity. But will he last until the 25th pick? As for the safeties, who could both play at SS or FS, we again see an mid-first-round placement. Birmingham is seeking a strong safety, but they are unlikely to use the #2 overall pick on the position. LA is seeking a free safety to pair with Troy Polamalu, and sitting at #9, we could see them taking a shot at either Huff or Whitner. Neither Texas nor Ohio have safety as a high need position, so we expect both Huff and Whitner to be there in the open draft. LA, then maybe New Jersey at 11, Jacksonville at 18, or Pittsburgh at 20, PORTLAND NAME TEAM CONTEST No sooner did the PDX Group get official approval as the USFL’s 27th franchise, than they started working to get fans excited about the team. Events throughout the city helped to get the word out, and to get fans engaged. This week the Portland club announced it’s interactive Name the Team Contest, a multi-platform effort in which fans will vote on three different team name options, complete with USFL-approved, Reebok-designed logos for each club. Fans will be able to enter and vote online, and at the same time can get on the mailing list for ticket info and team updates. Portland had earlier announced that the colors chosen in the logo of the PDX group did, in fact, represent the team colors that the new USFL franchise would use, a combination new to the USFL and, in fact, to pro football: Deep Forest Brown, Blaze Orange, and Woodland Buff (a non-metallic soft gold or khaki). The three colors are used in all three identity options, and it appears that we could be looking at the first brown-dominant USFL club, and only the third one in pro sports after the NFL Cleveland Browns and San Diego Padres (who are rumored to be returning to brown after a lengthy hiatus). The three identities, the Grizzlies, Pumas, and Stags, are all native fauna to the Pacific Northwest, though one could argue that Grizzlies have not truly roamed the mountains of Oregon in quite a while. In revealing the identity options the PDX Football Group spoke of their attributed qualities of ferocity, cunning, and nobility, and the blurb about each also highlights the connection between these animals and the spirit or ethos of the new Portland USFL club. Clearly a move away from the desire of some fans to try to recapture the Thunder moniker and logo, the new color scheme and animal-themed logos are designed to provide a new start, but one connected to the outdoorsy and nature-loving traits of Portland and Oregon in general. Fans can vote at Portlandfootball.com, or right here at USFL Lives. Just click on the Portland Poll above and cast your vote. The contest is open from now until early April, with results reported somewhere around Week 5 of the USFL’s 2006 season. Expect that the vote tally will be cut off slightly earlier than that, as the club will want to have t-shirts, pennants, bumper stickers, and other swag available at the grand opening. TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE PORTLAND MASCOT & IDENTITY, JUST CLICK ON THE "PORTLAND POLL" OPTION AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE. VOTING WILL STAY OPEN THROUGH THE SIMULATION OF WEEK 4 GAMES IN 2006.

A busy offseason in the USFL is overshadowed by tragedy on the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Katrina has devastated the city of New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast from Texas to Alabama. The crisis impacts all aspects of life in the region, and, while it may seem trivial in comparison to the loss of life and livelihood in the region, it also clearly impacts the USFL’s spring 2006 season as well. We will start with that story, before turning to the more mundane offseason transactions which normally occupy our attention during these months. Katrina Impacts USFL Family There is no way to overstate the impact that Hurricane Katrina has had for the USFL, its players, fans, and extended family, and, in particular the New Orleans Breakers. In the aftermath of the flooding and chaos of the hurricane, and in light of the devastation to the lives and livelihoods of so many along the Gulf Coast, the USFL has already started organizing relief and support efforts, working in tandem with the states of Louisiana and Mississippi, the city of New Orleans, and the rival NFL and New Orleans Saints franchises. Breakers co-owner Joe Canizaro, who was on the cusp of selling his majority share of the Breakers, has taken the lead in the league’s efforts to support the people of the Gulf Coast. Canizaro heads up the team of USFL employees working with the city of New Orleans, FEMA, and the Red Cross, while Breakers players like QB Eli Manning, HB Troy Davis, and LB Donnie Edwards, and DE Ty Warren have been working with local communities doing everything from serving hot meals to offering camps that allow families to drop their kids off for a day to work on more pressing concerns. Of course, the players are also very much displaced by the storm and its aftermath. Many of the Breaker players, and several players from across the league who hail from the Gulf Coast have been forced to find alternative housing duing the first weeks of recovery. While most will be able to return to their homes in the next few weeks, several are living with friends from across the league in places like Birmingham, Memphis, San Antonio, Houston and Nashville. The Breakers organization, which has its headquarters just outside of the French Quarter, is working remotely, with most employees relocated to Birmingham, where they now share offices with the Stallions. After several weeks in which the organization was essentially put on hold, engaged only in support for its employees, players, staff, and the city itself, the Breakers are basing their current operations out of the Stallions facilities as they try to develop a strategy for the 2006 season. While it hardly seems a priority right now, only weeks after the tragedy which unfolded in the Crescent City, the reality is that the 2006 USFL season will go on, and a plan has to be put in place for the Breakers. Details are very sketchy right now, but as Joe Canizaro works with the league on community support, minority owner David Dixon is working with league officials to try to devise the best possible option for the Breakers in 2006. After the devastation to the city, and to the Super Dome in particular, both the NFL Saints and USFL Breakers are expected to be unable to utilize the facility until mid-Fall 2006 at the earliest. The Saints have already relocated their games during the current NFL season, playing in New Jersey, Baton Rouge, and San Antonio. The Breakers are expected to have a plan to relocate the franchise to other USFL venues as well, but the scheduling of events in regional cities like Memphis, Birmingham, and San Antonio can be complicated. Dixon has cited a desire to find a single home for the season, unlike the Saints, who are mixing games in Baton Rouge with others in Texas. Finding a single home stadium could be difficult for the Breakers, as many of the stadia used by USFL franchises are shared with other tenants and scheduled with events ranging from concerts to monster truck rallies. Finally, the other huge impact for New Orleans is a financial one. Not only are the Breakers impacted, much as most businesses along the Gulf Coast are, but the timing of Katrina, just weeks before the Fall League meeting where the question of the sale from Canizaro to David Dixon and the brothers Thomas and James Duff. With the entire Gulf Coast impacted by Katrina, the Duffs are, as you might imagine, dealing with significant financial impacts for their primary business interests, chief among them the chain of Southern Tire Mart centers. At this point, the sale of the Breakers seems not only potentially delayed, but very realistically could be called off simply due to the impact of Katrina on the finances of the Duffs. Add to this the expected devaluation of the franchise during the recovery period, the added costs of relocation of team activities, the added expenses of relocating games, and the funds needed to support personnel displaced by the disaster and the finances of the Breakers come into immediate question. While both Dixon and Canizaro are committed to the Breakers and to helping to rebuild New Orleans, it is almost certain that some support from the league as a whole for the Breakers franchise will be needed. This is not an unprecedented situation, as we saw the league rally to support the New Jersey and Washington franchises after 9/11, and, under more mundane circumstances, to temporarily bolster the finances of the Portland Thunder and St. Louis Knights when both underwent crises of ownership. However, what astute observers have already noted, the financial instability of both Portland’s and St. Louis’s franchises led to an almost immediate relocation of those clubs. That is a scenario that Dixon, Canizaro, and the USFL absolutely do not want to see repeated in New Orleans. The Breakers pre-Katrina have been a model franchise with a deep connection to the community, outstanding attendance, and strong local rivalries with clubs like the Stallions, Showboats, and Gamblers. It seems clear that the league, despite the challenges, will do what it needs to do to support the Breakers as New Orleans’s team, and New Orleans as the Breakers’ home. The short term may seem choppy for the Breakers and for the city, but the league is committed to ensuring a bright future for both. OFFSEASON TEAM NEWS It seems somewhat trite to shift from the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina to the offseason player news in the USFL, but this is a sports publication, and while efforts are underway to recover from Katrina, the business of the USFL must continue, and a big part of that business is the offseason movement of players and preparation for the league’s expansion to 26 clubs. We start with the latest coaching hire, then post-championship retirement announcements, then we will share our perspective on a somewhat muted early free agency period, and then take a look at next month’s Expansion Draft. Pittsburgh Makes it Official. It took longer than expected, but just before Columbus Day the Pittsburgh Maulers finally came to terms with Chicago DC Ron Rivera to be their new head coach. Rivera and Pittsburgh negotiated for nearly 3 months but a 4-year contract was signed and the guru of the Machine defense now will get his shot as the big man in Steeltown. What should we expect from Rivera? Well, as we will discuss later, his strategy for the Expansion Draft seems to indicate that he will focus on exactly what he is known for, defense. Rivera may be considering a QB change as well, as he left Charlie Batch unprotected in the Expansion Draft. With Terrell Davis getting a little long in the tooth, Rivera will have to figure out the future of the Mauler run game, but his first order of business has to be building a defense that can rival Chicago and keep division foes Michigan and Ohio from running up the score. If Chicago’s model tells us anything, it is that Rivera will seek out athletic and hard hitting linebackers and a true #1 pass rusher. Pittsburgh has lacked that for several years now, and we know fans in the city that brought us the Iron Curtain and Blitzburgh would love to have a big name pass rusher to call their own with the Maulers. Looking at the Mauler roster right now, we feel confident that Sean Taylor and Patrick Surtain are solid in their positions, but everywhere else on the defense there is room for improvement. On offense, Davis is still the main man, but could use a protégé to help reduce his load. They have young but talented receivers in Vincent Jackson, Mike Williams, and Nate Burleson, and we love Alge Crumpler as a safety valve, so perhaps the Maulers will start to open up the offense a bit, but is Charlie Batch the man to do that? When we last checked in on the USFL’s retirement announcements, we had seen big name stars like Lawrence Dawsey, Adrian Cooper, Russell Maryland, DeMetrius DuBose, and Mo Lewis opt out of the 2006 season and step away from the game. Others like CB Aeneas Williams, HB Kenny Bynum, DT Sam Adams, and QB Mark Brunell of Denver soon joined them as ex-USFLers. In the weeks following Seattle’s summer bowl upset of Chicago several other players also joined their ranks. Two Chicago Machine veterans took the bitter pill of the Summer Bowl defeat pretty hard, and both felt that their ability to come back for one more year was simply not there. Cornerback R.W. McQuarters and Free Safety George Teague both announced their plan to file for retirement only days after the big game. This clearly makes the secondary an area of focus for the Machine if they wish to maintain the stalwart defense that got them all the way to the title game. Seattle saw one departure through retirement as journeyman safety Chris Hayes announced he would not return for 2006. Others who also made their announcements over the initial weeks of the offseason include Texas DT Darius Holland, Philadelphia HB Ki-Jana Carter, Birmingham HB Terry Battle, Boston DE Ta’ase Faumui, and Houston LB O.J. Brigance. As expected, the upcoming expansion draft put quite a damper on the early weeks of USFL free agency. Teams recognized that any player signed ahead of the Expansion Draft would either have to be protected or that the new signing could be a risk of reallocation to one of the two expansion clubs. What we saw in August and September was a very cautious strategy from pretty much all of the 24 existing clubs, and a more aggressive strategy from the two expansion clubs, as both Atlanta and St. Louis announced their first signings. Here is a quick recap of the signings from within the USFL, followed by our report on the NFL-USFL transfer window, which, as usual for August, leaned towards the NFL. ATLANTA: The Fire announced their first signing on the very first day of open free agency, introducing WR/KR Dante Hall of the Machine as the first official Fire player. The prolific kick and punt returner signed a 3-year deal to become the spark for Atlanta’s special teams. Hall was followed by several more signings over the ensuing week, including a prolific “one cut” back in Rod Smart (Denver), a quality SS from Boston in Terreal Bierria, another Machine standout in cornerback Eric Warfield, and a roadgrater of a guard in Gerry DiNapoli. Atlanta’s most eye-raising signing would come a week later as they introduced Jim Pyne as their starting center. Pyne, considered one of the best centers in the game, had spent only one year in Ohio when his contract ran out. The new deal with the Fire makes him the highest paid player in the league for his position. ST. LOUIS: Not to be outdone by their expansion rival, the St. Louis Skyhawks also made several early signings during free agency. Officially the first Skyhawk is guard Tre Johnson from the Wranglers, but the signing the next day of two offensive skill players overshadowed the signing of Johnson. St. Louis started building an offense and brought in two players with very different backgrounds to do so. On the third day of free agency the Skyhawks introduced WR Tim Dwight, the speedster from Iowa, and HB Larry Johnson, formerly with the Stars and Wranglers. Dwight has been in the league for 8 seasons, starting with Baltimore before playing 4 seasons in Arizona and 2005 with Philadelphia. Dwight put together a 1,000 yard season in his last year in Baltimore (2000) and then again with Jake Plummer in 2003, but managed only 19 catches and 123 yards in Philadelphia last year. Known for his straight line speed, Dwight is considered more of a role player than a starting wideout. As for Johnson, the Penn State star has been considered a dud in the USFL in his 3 seasons. He started only 3 games for Philly as a rookie, but was given the chance to be the full time starter as a sophomore. In his 2nd season with the Stars he rushed for only 545 yards and a 3.0 YPC average. He was traded to Arizona in the offseason, and there he sat for most of the year behind Duce Staley and Stanley Pritchett. St. Louis coach Art Shell must see some potential in him to sign him, but whether or not Johnson will start for the Skyhawks will certainly depend on their other offseason moves. In addition to Dwight and the 2 Johnsons, St. Louis also signed DE Eddie Freeman (MGN), and FS Tyrone Drakeford (ARZ). OTHER SIGNINGS: As we stated, most other teams were very hesitant to sign free agents ahead of the Expansion Draft, but we did have several practice squad signings as well as a few noteworthy players from active rosters. The names worth noting include Baltimore signing a backup to Ben Roethlisberger in former Mauler Alex Van Pelt, Chicago resigning kicker Tim Seder, Nashville signing center Todd McClure, Philadelphia hoping for some TE help with former Bull Roland Williams, and Seattle adding former Breaker Paris Lenon to replace the retired Chris Hayes. You can see the pattern here. Van Pelt would not be a top priority for expansion clubs, and the positions of interior linemen, tight end, and safety are also not likely to be highly prized positions during the expansion draft. So, it looks like some of the bigger name free agents, players like veteran LB Michael Barrow, WR Keenan McCardell, DE Andre Wadsworth, or SS Lawyer Milloy may have to wait until December, after the Expansion Draft, to see who is interested. While USFL clubs were hesitant to sign many free agents due to the impending expansion process, the same was not true of the NFL, who took advantage of the USFL-NFL transfer window to add a few missing pieces to their teams just as NFL preseason began in August. Several significant signings add even more concern for USFL teams already impacted by free agency, retirements, and the possible loss of up to 5 players from their rosters during the expansion draft. Among the major signings by the NFL we see Oakland DE Eric Curry signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Nashville strong safety Rodney Harrison leaving Music City for Bean Town as a new member of the Patriots. Las Vegas loses their leading rusher from 2005, Reuben Droughns, who signs a 2-year deal with the Denver Broncos after negotiations with the Thunder fell through. Chicago, who are taking a big hit this offseason, saw 3rd down and special teams star Brian Westbrook sign with the Philadelphia Eagles, leaving Michael Turner as the clear lead back for the Machine. Las Vegas also allowed QB Aaron Brooks go, and he was snatched up by the New Orleans Saints. Two other QB’s were also signed away, though both were backups for their USFL teams. Bill Musgrave, who started several games for an injured Heath Shuler, leaves Memphis for the San Francicso 49ers, and Brian St. Pierre, a BC grad signed by Boston in the T-Draft a few years back will now likely hold a clipboard behind Patrick Ramsey on the NY Giants sideline. Other NFL signings include Breaker HB Olandis Gary (TEN), Oakland WR Bobby Shaw (PHI), Boston LB Chris Cowart (BUF), and Jacksonville DT Renaldo Wynn (TBY). Perhaps the biggest surprise was the signing by the Green Bay Packers of Seattle DT Gilbert Brown. The big man was expected to retire from the Dragons, having hinted at this during the contract negotiation period, but instead signs a 2-year deal to play in frigid Green Bay. In a one-sided first transfer window, there were only a handful of significant USFL signings of NFL players and again St. Louis and Atlanta led the way. Atlanta signed 2 NFL backups to their roster, QB Sage Rosenfels, and Atlanta DB Keion Carpenter. St. Louis also added 2 NFL players, landing DE Bryce Fisher from their neighbors the Rams, then adding LB Marlon Greenwood from the Dolphins. Outside of the two expansion clubs, the only signings of any considerable importance during the first transfer window were the signing of LB Antonio Pierce by the Federals, of HB Correll Buckhalter, a former member of the Thunder, signed away from the Eagles by the Blitz, and, in another return to the USFL after a brief NFL stint, former Generals’ kicker Neil Rackers returns to spring ball, now with the Orlando Renegades. USFL Clubs Reveal Their Expansion Protected Lists USFL officials this week revealed the full list of all 24 teams and each of their 12 protected players. As expected, Atlanta and St. Louis will not have very many opportunities to land team leaders, All-USFL talent, or rising stars from the 24 other clubs. That said, with nearly 40 players per team left unguarded, there are certainly plenty of names out there who could attract attention from the two expansion clubs. Now, before all you Fire and Skyhawk fans get too excited, we should note that both clubs will still have to abide by the league’s salary cap limitations, and, if past expansions are any indication, you should expect that the two expansion teams will select a mix of higher cost, mid cost, and low cost players as they build their rosters. They each will get to choose 30 players, but the cap simply won’t allow them to sign 30 top quality players. Each club will have to monitor their budget as well as their depth chart as they look for talent, but, that said, we should expect that with both clubs able to pick players from all 24 teams, there will be some well-known names on the Fire and Skyhawk rosters come November. Looking over the protected list, there were a few surprising exceptions, and several younger players who could be ripe for the picking. Here is our position by position look at the best options available for the Fire and Skyhawks, understanding that every time a player is selected, their original team then gets to remove one more player from the expansion pool. The max any team can lose is 5 players before their entire roster is frozen. QUARTERBACK: Very few teams left their starting QB’s unprotected, but one surprise in particular was in Pittsburgh, where newly hired Coach Ron Rivera and the front office decided not to protect Charlie Batch in the pool. With Alex Van Pelt already signed out of free agency by Baltimore, this could cause the Maulers to be down to their 3rd string QB if Batch is taken. The only team to protect 2 QBs was Oakland, who kept Trent Green and Joey Harrington under wraps. So, what QB’s are out there for the two expansion clubs? Former Texas starter Jeff Lewis seems a top option, as do former starters, now backups like Michigan’s Brian Griese, Birmingham’s Eric Zeier, or Washington’s Jon Kitna. If younger QB’s are a priority, there are plenty to choose from, including Nashville’s Luke McCown, Seattle’s Cody Pickett, Jacksonville’s Josh McCown, and Chicago’s Kyle Orton. HALFBACK: Again, few members of the top 30 HB rankings were left unprotected, but halfback is a deep position, so there is talent to be had. Among our favorites at the position are Baltimore’s Kevin Faulk, Arizona’s Stanley Pritchett, Oakland’s Justin Fargas, New Orleans’s Troy Davis, Orlando’s R.J. Redmond, and two Tampa Bay backs, Travis Prentice and Autry Detson. If you are looking for a bigger back, there are several available who may lack breakaway speed, but can get you 2-3 yards when needed. In that group you find Mike Anderson (HOU), Ladell Betts (MGN), and Mike Cloud (BOS). And for 3rd down receiving backs, how about Mewelde Moore (LA), Maurice Smith (MEM), Darren Sproles (SEA), or Marcel Shipp (TEX). WIDE RECEIVERS: No Randy Moss, Keyshawn, or Joey Galloway here, but still a lot of good talent is available, though mostly looking at current #2 or #3 receivers. Atlanta and St. Louis will have to decide if they are gunning for shorter, quicker receivers or bigger, 50/50 ball receivers. Among the best of the crop we find Josh Reed (NOR), veteran Bert Emmanuel (NSH), journeyman J.J. Stokes (DEN), reliable Matthew Hatchette (LV), and up and comer Taylor Jacobs (OAK). If you are looking for a good slot option, you could do worse than Tampa’s Chris Doering, LA’s Dez White, or Baltimore’s Eddie Kennison. A lot of speed too, as players like Lee Evans (MEM), Javon Walker (JAX), and Drew Bennett (HOU) are available. TIGHT END: Not considered a high-value position, we only saw 12 teams protect a tight end, so that means that there are 12 starters and all the backups out there to be chosen. Expect TE to be a position of interest for both Atlanta and St. Louis, as they can get good value here. Among the best of those available we find 35-year old Lonnie Johnson (DEN), Chicago’s Jim Kliensasser, LA’s L.J. Smith, Memphis’s #2 Ben Hartsook, Nashville’s Juistin Peele, Orlando’s Fred Baxter, and Seattle’s Jeramy Stevans, who caught the title game winner for the Dragons just 2 months ago. OFFENSIVE LINE: Left tackles may be hard to find, but if Atlanta and St. Louis are looking for interior linemen, they should have plenty to choose from. Our picks here include centers Gene McGuire (ARZ), Bubba Miller (BOS), Mike Flynn (SEA), Olin Kreutz (HOU) and Roberto Garza (LV). Also of interest will be run-blocking guards like Texas’s Jeffrey Fisher, Arizona’s Chuck Johnson, LA’s Manuia Saveea, Tampa’s Lennie Friedman, or Oakland’s Brenden Stai. At tackle the Fire and Skyhawks may have to look either to youth or to a RT who can transition over to the left. Among the best available are Jason Fabini (NSH), Maurice Williams (BOS), Willie Anderson (SEA), Jason Odom (DEN) and Tra Thomas (HOU). DEFENSIVE END: A priority position for all teams, so again, few top candidates go unprotected, but a few did, typically guys at the end of contracts or nearing the ends of their careers. The obvious top choice is Tampa Bay’s Santana Dotson, but at 34, he is a short term proposition. Others to consider even if only for a couple of seasons, include Pittsburgh’s Cedric Harden, Baltimore’s Chuckie Nwokorie, Las Vegas’s Mike Jones, or Arizona’s Gary Walker. If you want more longevity, you will need to go for more prospect than known entity, but two name stand out, Houston’s Osi Umenyiura and Philadelphia’s Robert Mathis are both available and have a lot of potential. DEFENSIVE TACKLE: We expect several DT’s to be picked in the draft, but this could be a position where the teams wait and select guys with B grades instead of using an early pick to get a top 20 guy. Among those available in the mid range we have Kendrick Clancy (PHI), Wendell Bryant (BOS), Brentson Buckner (CHI), Kenny Smith (ORL), Nick Eason (LV), and Paul Grasmanis (BAL). If either club wanted a surefire option at DT, the best bet is to go with Oakland’s Joe Salave’a, whose contract is quite big, but so too is his skillset. LINEBACKER: We expect the LBs to be among the most coveted players in the early rounds. With each team needing a solid group of 5-6 rotational linebackers, there is demand for the position, and despite some teams protecting as many as 3 of 4 starters, there is a deep pool here. We fully expect Nashville’s Na’il Diggs to get picked. At only 27, he has several good years left to build around. Philly’s Mike Crawford and Tampa Bay’s Zeke Moreno are two more strong contenders to get snapped up. What about Boston’s Roman Pfifer, Arizona’s Corey Miller, or Houston’s Randall Godfrey? A lot of talent in this pool, and that could also mean that some mid-range players with big upside get a call. That could include players like Nashville’s Hunter Hilleneyer, Texas’s Tarek Salah, Birmingham’s John Mobley, or Orlando’s Dexter Coakley. CORNERBACK: Nope, Deion Sanders is not available. Sorry, Atlanta. But there are plenty of solid corners to choose from. How about Tyrone Poole (BOS) or Jimmy Hitchock (TEX)? Looking for someone under 30, what about Baltimore’s Ken Lucas, Philly’s Tod McBride, or Jacksonville’s Dereck Combs? One of the hottest prospects could be New Orleans young upstart Randall Gay, while others might prefer a savvy veteran like Philly’s Corey Fuller or Arizona’s Philippi Sparks. SAFETY: We are a bit surprised that Jacksonville did not protect FS Jerome Woods. He is only 30 and he has been very good for a long time. Baltimore’s Marquez Pope is also too good to be available, but at 36 maybe the Blitz figure neither team would want him for a short stint. Other quality free safeties include Scott Shields (LA), Leomont Evans (HOU), Corey Hall (BOS), and Bryan Scott (TBY). Among the Strong Safeties, we expect one of the expansion clubs to jump on Houston’s Je’Rod Cherry, who at 34 could still play 2-3 more years. If not, then what about Arizona’s Clifton Black, Jacksonville’s Keith Lyle, or Seattle’s Terrance Holt? KICKER/PUNTER: Very few protected players here, and we expect that both ATL and STL will use a late draft pick on one or both of these positions. The field is wide open as not a single kicker or punter were protected by their teams. That had to sting. USFL Releases 2006 Schedule This week the USFL revealed the 2006 schedule, which retains its 14-week format and now features a variation between divisional, inter-divisional, and inter-conference games, based on whether a team is in a 4-team division or a 5-team division. As was reported earlier, the 4-team divisions play 6 divisional games, 6 inter-divisional games, and only 2 inter-conference games. Teams in the 5-team divisions play 8 divisional games, 3 inter-divisionals, and 3-inter conference games. So, what are the highlights? Well, rivalry games in divisions are assured, but the schedule has a mix of divisional games every week, with both interconference and interdivisional games thrown in as well, so quite a change from the orderly system used the past few years. Looking over each week, here are our Top 3 Games for each week of 2006: Week 1: Chicago @ Houston—The final that could have been is the Kickoff Game for 2006. Arizona @ Atlanta—the return of Fire football in Georgia. Seattle @ St. Louis—The Gateway City gets the League Champ to kick things off. Week 2: New Jersey @ Boston—A divisional rivalry that could match Yankees-Sox in energy. Denver @ Houston—The Southwest’s 2 powers clash in an early season showdown. Jacksonville @ Orlando—An early test for the ‘Gades in this Florida rivalry game. Week 3: New Orleans @ Birmingham—Perhaps the closest N’awlins fans can see their club. Memphis @ Nashville—The Tennessee Tussle gets an early season start. Tampa Bay @ Jacksonville—Another Florida Derby for the Bulls. Can they sweep? Week 4: Pittsburgh @ Chicago—Ron Rivera returns with his new team to face his old team. Tampa Bay @ Atlanta—Can the Fire rise up to renew a rivalry with the Bandits? Washington @ Baltimore—The War on I-95 renews, and should be a battle. Week 5: Seattle @ Houston—Rematch of the Western Conference Final from 2005 Chicago @ Ohio—An intense rivalry the past few years. This one could be brutal. Washington @ Philadelphia—No rest for the Feds as they go on tough road trip. Week 6: New Jersey @ Philadelphia—The rivalry in the league is on in Week 6 and 10. Texas @ Arizona—Division rivals who may need to get a W by this point in the year. Birmingham @ New Orleans: Where will this be played? Week 7: Los Angeles @ New Jersey—The game that started it all in 1983. Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay—A tough 3-game stretch for the Stars. Houston @ Texas—Fire up the grill for this BBQ Battle in the heart of Texas. Week 8: Pittsburgh @ St. Louis—The best hope for the Skyhawks to win in the division? Washington @ Ohio—Immovable object vs. irresistible force in this great matchup. Birmingham @ Atlanta—Call it the “SEC Slugfest”. These 2 states love to battle. Week 9: St. Louis @ Chicago—We can hope for some Cubs-Cards vibes in this new rivalry. Memphis @ New Orleans—But will this game be in Memphis? Is that fair? Oakland @ Arizona—An old school rivalry from way back in 1983. Week 10: Arizona @ Denver—One of the best rivalries saved until the final month. Seattle @ Oakland—Can the Invaders pay back their playoff loss to the Dragons? Ohio @ St. Louis—Could the Skyhawks take on this new divisional rival? Week 11: Michigan @ Chicago—This could be a playoff preview, if Michigan is for real. New Orleans @ Nashville—Another chance for Breaker fans to get engaged. Baltimore @ New Jersey—This should be a slugfest in the very tough NE division Week 12: Baltimore @ Washington—A rematch of the game that killed the Blitz’s ’05 run Orlando @ Tampa Bay—Always a fun matchup when these two neighbors clash. Atlanta @ Jacksonville—Two cities closer to each other than most recognize. Week 13: Los Angeles @ Oakland—We love the Cali Derby, and this could be a good one. Philadelphia @ Nashville—This may have major playoff implications. Birmingham @ Memphis—A Southern Showdown in the hot summer sun. Week 14: Denver @ Oakland—An interdivisional game that could have major playoff impact. Boston @ New Jersey—The rematch from Week 2 could be a playoff decider. Las Vegas @ Tampa Bay—Jerry Glanville returns to face the team that did him wrong. League Postpones Vote on Portland Expansion We end our report with the news most already know, that with the concern about Katrina and the Breakers, the Fall league meeting had a change of focus as efforts were put into place to support the New Orleans franchise and the community, which means that the final review and vote on expansion to Portland (as the lone Western Conference candidate city) has been moved to a special meeting to take place immediately after the Expansion Draft in November. Conditions look very good for approval when the owners do convene. The finances of the bid are solid, the new, as-of-yet unnamed stadium, is a great fit for the USFL, which is in part by design, and the market is one that gets a lot of support. Adding a 5th team to the Pacific Division fits well with the plan to balance the two conferences, since all 3 other bids are Southeast teams (Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, and Norfolk/Tidewater), aligning the divisions with a 5-team Central and a 5-Team Northeast would be ideal for the league. With Dallas-Fort Worth having essentially self-destructed, Portland feels like a slam dunk, and would mean that 3 of the 4 expansion teams between 2006-2008 would be returning teams to legacy cities. So, the writing may be on the wall for this one. Rumors already have Reebok preparing logo designs for a potential “Name the Team” contest, which could begin as soon as the franchise is approved.

The slipper fits! Cinderella Seattle has its fairy tale ending as the Dragons complete one of the greatest playoff runs in professional sports history, knocking off the favored Chicago Machine in the final seconds of Summer Bowl 2006. Seattle, which barely qualified for the playoffs at 6-8, became the darlings of the nation as they won three consecutive road playoff games to make the championship game, and then came from behind against the #1 defense in the USFL to take their first title. It is an amazing story, a nailbiter of a game, and a great advertisement for the quality and excitement of USFL football. It was the big stars for the Dragons on both sides of the ball that made it possible for this most unlikely of champions. Third year QB Byron Leftwich survived constant Chicago pressure and 7 sacks to complete 18 of 31 passing for 339 yards and 2 scores. Corey Dillon, the Seattle born, U of Washington product, made his home town proud with 142 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per carry against Chicago’s top ranked run defense. David Boston, Seattle’s lone All-USFL skill player caught 4 passes for 116 yards and a score. On defense it was a true team effort, holding Chicago to only one converted third down all game. Dillon would win the game’s MVP award for his efforts on the day, but this title belongs to the entire franchise, a team that simply believed in themselves even when everything seemed stacked against them. For Chicago it was a painful defeat as their vaunted defense had a lead to defend with 2 minutes to lay, but could not shut down Seattle when they had a chance to take home the Windy City’s first league title. The Machine line had played well all game, with Jeff George not sacked once and Michael Turner able to average 5.2 yards per carry. The defense had gotten pressure on Leftwich, with Anthony Weaver, the league’s sack champion adding 2 more to his total for the year, and 5 other machine defenders getting in on the action. But, with neither team committing any turnovers, this game was about defensive stops, and when it counted most the Machine could not get the one stop that would have given them the title. Seattle started fast, winning the coin toss and beginning the game with the ball in their offense’s hands. Their first drive took just under 4 minutes and produced 7 points as the combination of early success on the ground and timely play action helped the Dragons penetrate deep into Chicago territory. Leftwich, on a 2nd and goal from just inside the 10 yard line would find his favorite target, the lanky David Boston, on a classic over the shoulder fade route. Boston got both feet in bounds, a fact confirmed by instant replay, and the Dragons drew first blood. After a Chicago drive faltered at midfield, Seattle got the ball again, and again they were able to put points on the board. They drove down to the Chicago 12 yard line, but a sack of Leftwich on 3rd and 3 forced them to go for 3 from the 17. Dave Rayner nailed the kick and Chicago found itself in the uncomfortable and unaccustomed position of being down by 2 scores early in the game. Chicago had made a habit of leading games early and relying on their league best defense to hold that advantage. Now, already down 10 points, things were about to get worse for the Eastern Conference Champion. After a strong kickoff return gave Chicago the ball on their own 38, the Machine gained no yards on three consecutive plays, two runs and an incomplete pass on 3rd and 10. Punter Reggie Hodges came out, but shanked the kick. It would go only 23 yards before trickling out of bounds, setting up Seattle with another chance to put points on the board. The Dragons wasted no time, moving at a quick pace, with Leftwich connecting with Ken Dilger on an 11-yard completion, followed by a 7-yarder to O.J. McDuffie, and then another first down toss to Jeramy Stevens. On 1st and 10 from the 26, they changed gears and called a draw play to Corey Dillon. Chicago blitzed on the outside, running past the play and Dillon found himself untouched and in the secondary. Putting a move on SS George Teague, the big back avoided a tackle at the 7 and found his way to the end zone. Seattle was up 17-0 and both the Chicago sideline and a large contingent of Machine fans in NRG Stadium were stunned and silent. All this happened in just the first 13 minutes of game action. Chicago would need to regroup, and to do so quickly. Jeff George, a veteran of many campaigns in both the USFL and NFL, stepped up and put the team on his back. In only 6 plays he marched the Machine down the field and into the end zone, hitting Donald Driver with a beautiful laser of a pass on an inward-cutting route for the 24-yard TD. Chicago was finally on the board, and the momentum began to shift their way. The Machine defense played far better in the 2nd quarter, and while Corey Dillon was able to add another 33 yards to his total in the period, Seattle was not able to re-establish a 3-score lead. They went into the half with a solid 17-7 lead over Chicago, but the tide seemed to be turning as the Machine defense was proving more effective against Seattle’s run/pass combinations. Coach Mornhinweg spent the halftime trying to break down how Seattle had been able to stymie the Chicago run game. His DC, Ron Rivera, spent his time with the Machine D focusing on execution, demanding more of his players and insisting that the scheme was fine, that the key was breaking off from blocks and staying aggressive without being reckless. In the opposing locker room, Marvin Lewis was preaching focus, focus on 30 minutes, focus on every play as a big play, as a play that could turn the game. There was little focus on changing course, and more focus on maintaining intensity for the second half. Outside of the locker rooms, the fans at NRG Stadium were enjoying the Dr. Pepper halftime show, featuring two noted Texas acts, with headliner Clint Black joined on stage by members of ZZ Top and a special surprise appearance from Houston Gambler minority owner Kenny Rogers. When the stage was pulled back and the lights raised again, the Machine and Dragon players returned to the field to a huge ovation from 61,304 fans in attendance. Chicago would receive the second half kickoff, and they would use that to maintain the momentum they had gained late in the first quarter. It would take the Machine nearly 8 minutes to complete their drive, a 15-play calculated and slow-played drive that featured several big 2nd down plays. It would be the best drive of the day for the Machine, and thon only drive in which they converted a 3rd down. They pushed the ball all the way to the Seattle 7 yard line, and had a first and goal, but failed to convert on their first two plays. They would fail again on 3rd and 3, the ball placed at the one yard line, but Coach Mornhinweg would not settle for a field goal after such an exhausting drive. He called in a 4th down play and a hush fell over the Chicago bench as Jeff George faked the ball to Brian Westbrook, only to toss a laser to the corner of the end zone, where WR Brandon Lloyd hauled it in, tapped his toes and fell out of bounds. Chicago had pulled back to 17-14 thanks to a gutsy call from their coach, but there was still a lot of game to be played. On their first drive of the second half, a full 39 minutes since they last touched the ball (real time, not game time), Seattle moved the ball well, again Corey Dillon found holes to run through and the run game allowed Byron Leftwich chances to make play action passes. With a 3rd and 7 from the Chicago 31, pass was the obvious call, and as had been the case all game, when it was an obvious passing down Coach Rivera called for pressure. Leftwich escaped the first rusher, but got caught by SS Anthony Prior, who had blitzed on the right side, pushing Seattle out of field goal range. They would have to punt. Chicago got the ball on a touchback and went to work with their eyes on taking the lead with a touchdown. They would get their biggest pass play of the game on this drive, a 1st and 10 screen to Brian Westbrook, who wove his way through defenders for 35 yards. Three plays later it would be Westbrook getting into the end zone on a well-blocked sweep that caught Seattle flat footed. Chicago took the lead at 21-17, and Seattle, who had been so hot when the game began had now seen a 21-0 run by the Machine. They needed to respond or the game could slip out of their grasp entirely. Following the Chicago score, Seattle took the kickoff and focused on a run game that had found unexpected success all game. The Dragons used Dillon runs to get a first down on three straight run plays. That success led Chicago to shift up their defense, and that, in turn, played right into Coach Lewis’s plans. Leftwich faked the ball to Dillon on the 4th play of the drive and found Ken Dilger open over the middle. Dilger rumbled for 28 yards and Seattle was in business. But, once again, on a 3rd and 4, the Chicago pressure got to Leftwich and again the Dragons would have to settle for 3. Eleven minutes left in the game and Chicago now led 21-20. Both Chicago and Seattle would fail to gain a first down on their next drive, and with 5:33 left to play, Seattle had to kick the ball back to the Machine. Chicago would have moderate success on the next drive, spurred by an 18-yard run from Michael Turner and a 12 yard completion to Jim Kliensasser, but again on third down Jeff George could not convert and Tim Seder would come out. His 31-yard field goal with 2:12 left to play would put Chicago up by 4. They had kept Seattle from scoring anything other than a lone field goal since the end of the first quarter, but a 4-point lead with time left was anything but certain. The Dragons began the drive at the 20 after Chicago’s kickoff went out the back of the end zone. With only 2:12 left in the game, they would not be able to rely entirely on Corey Dillon’s running, and they had to expect that Chicago would be pressuring Leftwich on every play. Their first call set the tone for the drive to come. Leftwich faked the ball to Dillon on first and 10. The Chicago defense did not bite, and pursued Leftwich, but the Seattle QB rolled to his right and bought enough time to connect with O.J. McDuffie for a gain of 8. That play was followed by a shotgun formation and a completion to Dilger for a first down. Two-minute warning and Seattle was at their own 33. Leftwich would line up in the shotgun on 1st and 10 from the 33 and would try the draw play to Dillon. It gained 6, but that was not the kind of gain the Dragons needed. They went back to the pass on 2nd down, but Leftwich, pressured by Anthony Weaver, had to throw the ball away. 3rd and 4 from the 37. On third down it was shotgun again, but with the corner giving David Boston a lot of cushion, Leftwich was able to connect on a 9 yard hitch and Boston was able to get out of bounds to save time outs. First and 10 on the 46. The next play would be the play of the game. On 1st and 10 from the 46, the Dragons did not line up in the shotgun. They used a 3-receiver, 1 back formation, hoping to keep pressure off Leftwich by threatening to run the ball. They still had all 3 time outs, so a run play was not out of the question. Problem was that Chicago was not buying it. They brought a blitz to Leftwich’s right side. Simeon Rice grazed Leftwich’s shoulder but could not grab the jersey. The Dragon QB escaped to the left, but had Anthony Weaver bearing down on him. The QB barely got the ball off before a crushing hit from Weaver knocked him to the turf. On the other end of the pass, O.J. McDuffie timed his leap. He caught the ball over his head, but came crashing down to the ground as the safety’s body undercut him. Somehow, he did not release the ball. He had to be helped up and took the next play off, clearly having had the wind knocked out of him. But the catch was made, and a big one, a gain of 22 on the play. Time out Seattle with 1:22 left to play, ball on the Chicago 32. Seattle would try to run again, with 2 time outs still in their pocket. On 1st down a toss play to Dillon gained 4 and the big back stepped out to preserve the timeout. On 2nd and 6 Seattle lined up in the shotgun and again tried to fake out the Chicago defense, using the draw play that had scored for Dillon earlier in the game. This time it was only good for 3 yard and Seattle would have to call their 2nd time out before a 3rd and 1 on the Chicago 23. The Dragons called a QB sneak on 3rd and 1 but Chicago’s Brentson Buckner flinched and was called for encroachment, giving Seattle five yards without costing them any time. 1st and 10 on the 18. Leftwich tried to hit Boston on a fade route to the endzone, but the ball was played well by CB Eric Warfield. 2nd and 10. Leftwich again under center. He took the snap and quickly connected with McDuffie for a gain of 7. The Dragons raced to the line and set up a shotgun, 3 receiver set. The ball was snapped and Leftwich looked for McDuffie but was pressured and had to dump the ball to Dillon. His HB reached the first down marker at the 8 and stepped out. 23 seconds left to play, Seattle with 2-time outs left, but needing 7. 1st and 10 at the 8-yard line. With two time outs left, Seattle tried to trick Chicago yet again, this time a draw to Sproles, but the play gained only 2 yards and Seattle had to burn their 2nd time out. 2nd and 8 from the 6-yard line. Leftwich lined up in the shotgun, two receivers on either side, Stevens and Boston left, McDuffie and Ashley Lelie to the right. Chicago did not blitz this time, they dropped 7 players back into coverage, but rushing 4 was enough as Anthony Weaver flushed Leftwich out of the pocket and into the arms of Israel Rayborn. A loss of 7 on the play. With the clock ticking down, the Dragons raced to the line to snap the ball on third and goal from the 13, but the hurry to get the play off led to a false start as TE Ken Dilger was in motion before the snap. Five-yard penalty and a 10 second run off. Seattle again raced to the line as the referee placed the ball. 13 seconds, 12 seconds, 11 seconds. Leftwich took the shotgun snap, looked to his left, trying to connect with Boston, but safety Anthony Prior had leaned left from the outset and Boston was now clearly sandwiched between Prior and cornerback Eric Warfield. But, with Prior out with Boston, it meant that the inside seam was available to Leftwich, and in the center of the field was Jeramy Stevens, clearing Brian Urlacher and heading to the end zone. Leftwich put just enough arc on the ball to clear Chicago’s All-USFL MLB and Stevens had just enough height to catch the ball as it began its descent. 9 seconds on the clock as Stevens rolled to the turf, and into the goalpost. It took the big TE a second or two to get up, but when he did, ball firmly grasped in his right hand, the stadium erupted. Seattle had taken the lead, 26-24, with only 9 ticks left on the clock. The Cinderella season had a fairy tale ending after all. Dave Rayner would connect on the PAT, giving Seattle a 3-point lead, and on the ensuing kickoff he would squib the kick, avoiding the dangerous return man Dante Hall, and forcing up man Michael Ricks to field the return. Ricks went down almost immediately, giving Jeff George 6 seconds and 63 yards to go. Now we al know that George has an arm, but even for him this was too much to ask. On the game’s final play he faced a 2-man rush, and had time to heave the ball skyward, but it was a cluster of players waiting at the 11 yard line when the ball came down and it was swatted to the ground in the chaos of the cluster of players. Seattle had done it. The slipper had fit and the clock had struck midnight, and for Dragon fans, old and new, the improbable had become reality. Seattle was the USFL champion. It was chaos on the sidelines as players first tried to dump Gatorade on Coach Lewis, largely missing him, but nailing a sound engineer pretty square on. They then lifted Lewis on their shoulders and made their way to midfield, before their coach insisted on getting down to shake hands with Marty Mornhinweg. The two coaches shared some words, and then the party resumed, confetti in green and red tumbling from the roof of NRG Stadium, music blaring, and pandemonium on the field. The presentation of the John Bassett Trophy was made to Coach Mornhinweg and owners Paul Allen and Roger Edsen. The MVP award was given to Corey Dillon, whose 142 yards represented the highest total by a back against Chicago this year, and the only 100+ yard game given up by the Machine in 17 games. The street of downtown Seattle filled with revelers, and, as is tradition, Byron Leftwich promised to visit Disneyland. The Seattle Dragons, a 6-8 team that many thought did not deserve to be even a #6 seed had beaten all the odds, and all the opponents in their path, to become USFL Champions. Chicago had been a worthy opponent, and had proven their mettle, coming back from an early 17-0 hole, but Seattle would be the story this night. Houston, the USFL, and the whole nation would celebrate the underdog, or in this case the magic Dragon.

I think we can officially say that it is already too late to jump on the Seattle Dragon bandwagon. Season ticket holders had might as well buy t-shirts that say “I was a Dragon Fan before it was cool” because the Dragons have captured the imagination of the country at this point. They went into the Western Conference Championship as a 9-point underdog to #1 seed Houston. They came out a convincing winner. Now they head to their first Summer Bowl, and again they are a heavy underdog, with Las Vegas placing them as a 7.5 point underdog to the Chicago Machine, another #1 seed. It is an incredible story, a 6-8 club that needed to win in Week 14 just to qualify, has now knocked off all three Western Conference division winners, first the #3 seed Nashville Knights, then the #2 seed Oakland Invaders, and finally the #1 seed Houston Gamblers. They now face another division winner, and the team with the best record in the league this season, the 11-3 Chicago Machine. The Machine defeated Philadelphia by 21 points in the Divisional round before squeaking past the Tampa Bay Bandits by a single point in this week’s Eastern Conference Title Game. They see themselves as the best team in the league, and their record confirms that this has been the case, but now they face what appears to be a team of destiny. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s focus first on how both of these squads punched their tickets to next week’s Summer Bowl in Houston. TAMPA BAY BANDITS 26 CHICAGO MACHINE 27 Soldier Field was the site for the first of our two Conference Championships, and the home team Machine needed every ounce of support they got from their fans as they battled a very talented and very game Bandits squad. Chicago would survive, despite being outgained 452-309 and committing the only turnover of the game. They would win because in the final stretch of action, after a rough 3rd quarter, the defense regrouped and shut down Tampa’s primary offensive weapons, allowing the offense enough room to pull back into contention and then back into the lead. This was a back-and-forth affair all game long, and both clubs could have been viewed as legitimate champions with the way they played on this day. Chicago aimed to make Tampa Bay one dimensional, and largely succeeded, limiting Willis McGahee to only 20 yards on 13 carries. Tampa Bay hoped to force Chicago to convert on third down and make slow progress instead of big plays, and with that they struggled as the day for the Machine included a 25-yard rush by Michael Turner, a 22-yarder from Brian Westbrook, and receptions of 34, 27, 37 and 25 yards from Chicago receivers. The game opened conservatively with both clubs feeling out the opposition defense. Tampa Bay ended their first drive with a Nate Kaeding field goal after making some progress through the air against the Chicago secondary. Chicago responded, taking up Tampa Bay’s challenge and concluding a methodical 11-play drive with a 2-yard Turner TD run. They would double their score 6 minutes later when their next drive concluded with Jeff George hitting Jim Kliensasser for a short 5-yard TD toss. Down 14-3, Tampa Bay responded in their usual fashion, going for a big play. Daunte Culpepper connected with Jeremy Shockey on a seam pattern, and the big man shrugged off the lone tackler in his way, rumbling 79 yards for a score to pull Tampa back to within 1 score at 14-10. They would draw even closer on their next drive, another Nate Kaeding field goal making the score 14-13 with 6 minutes left in the half. Chicago would take advantage of those six minutes, again moving the ball slowly but steadily into Tampa Bay territory. An offsides penalty on a key 3rd and 4 helped Chicago keep possession, and they used that bit of luck to put them in position for a half-ending score, a perfect corner route by Curtis Conway, who landed both feet in bounds as he fell out of the end zone with the ball. Chicago lead by 8, 21-13, at the half. While Coach Mornhinweg had to feel good about the halftime lead, he knew that across the stadium, Coach Spurrier was devising a new strategy to attack the Machine defense. That was indeed the case as Tampa Bay would come out in the 2nd half with a new strategy to push Chicago’s defensive secondary. The Bandits would utilize a 1-back, 2-TE set to force Chicago to creep their linebackers up towards the line. This led Chicago to abandon the shell zones that had worked for them in the first half. With one or both tight ends moving prior to the snap, Chicago had to reveal their coverage, zone or man. And with that knowledge Daunte Culpepper began to pick apart the Machine defense for the first time all game. Tampa Bay would control the clock for 11 of the 15 minutes of the third quarter, and they would come away with two Randy Moss touchdowns. The Bandits went for 2 on the first, but came up short, a gambit that would prove decisive in the end. Trailing 21-19, Tampa would again find Moss for a score, this one a 28-yard score on a hook & go pattern. They went from trailing 21-13 to leading 26-23 by the time the third quarter came to a close. Down six, Chicago also made adjustments. On offense they relied a bit more on their run game to tire the Tampa Bay defenders. Splitting carries between Turner and Westbrook, and interspersing them with short tosses to Klliensasser, Driver, and Conway, Chicago put together a successful drive, but one that fell short of the goal line. Tim Seder would pull Chicago to within 2 at the 4:27 mark of the 4th with a 22-yard chip shot from the 5 yard line. It would be up to the defense to get Jeff George and the Machine the ball back once again. The defense would do just that, stemming the Tampa attack on three consecutive plays. On first down, McGahee was stuffed for a 1-yard loss. On second, Culpepper was forced to dump the ball off to his safety valve, TE Jeremy Shockey, for a gain of only 4. On third and 7 they would pass again, and the Machine defenders knew it. Chicago used a nickel defense, and opted to keep 7 in coverage, rushing only 4. After an initial push up the middle, Culpepper was forced to his right, and Simeon Rice was there, waiting for him. Rice’s 2nd sack of the day was pivotal, as it forced Tampa Bay to give the ball back to Chicago. Jeff George came out to the field once again with 2:49 left on the clock, more than enough time to get a field goal. Chicago would grind the ball out, passing only twice on the drive. They killed clock as well as picking up yards, ensuring Tampa would have no time to answer a Chicago score. With 37 seconds left to play, and facing a 4th and goal from the 2, Chicago opted to go for the sure points, brought out Tim Seder, and the league’s All-USFL kicker connected on what was basically a PAT to put the Machine up 1 point. That is all they would need. Tampa did not have time to get back to field goal range, and the stadium erupted as the final seconds counted down. Chicago would be returning to the Summer Bowl for the first time since 1994, when they represented the West against eventual champion Philadelphia. SEATTLE DRAGONS 24 HOUSTON GAMBLERS 10 With Chicago locking up a spot in Summer Bowl 2006, the question of their opponent now turned to Houston, the site of the Western Conference Championship and the #1 seed, who were looking for a shot to play in their 7th Summer Bowl, and to do so in their home stadium. The Gamblers came into the game a 7.5-point favorite, lower than Oakland had been the week before, and all credit for this went to the Dragons, who had shocked the league by knocking off both Nashville and Oakland, both on the road. They would need a third upset road victory to make their first appearance in the Summer Bowl. The game got off to a slow start with both defenses dominating the early play. Houston would get a field goal with about 2:45 to play in the opening quarter, but neither team had shown much ability to drive the ball in their first 2 drives. That all changed with Seattle’s third drive. The Dragon drive began with two Corey Dillon runs. The first went for 2 yards, similar to his early runs in the game. The second, however, was another story. A counter play to the right side, tackle Lomas Brown pulled and went straight for Houston MLB Sam Cowart. Brown took Cowart completely out of the play and Dillon found a wide-open hole to run through. Tackled out of bounds 27 yards later, the play sent a shiver down the back of Houston's defensive coaching staff. On the next play, facing a similar 2-back, 2 receiver set with the TE on the right side, they brought the linebackers in tight. That made it easy picking for Leftwich with single coverage outside. He connected with O.J. McDuffie for 29 yards on a beautiful play fake. Two plays later, the play action would again find outside receivers in single coverage, and Leftwich would connect with David Boston for a touchdown. That drive set a tone that Houston was not prepared for. The Gamblers took back the lead with an offensive drive of their own, one ending with Matt Hasselbeck connecting with Antonio Freeman for the score. But Seattle would even the game up at 10 before the half. Seattle had not only held their own against Houston in the first half, they had sensed a bit of fear, that Houston was not entirely prepared for Seattle, that perhaps they had also bought into the hype that the Dragons had been lucky to get this far and could win purely on reputation, but that one drive in the 2nd quarter had shown that this was not the case. Coach Lewis would use halftime to pump this thought into his player’s heads, that they, and not Houston, were the better team, and that they had a chip on their shoulder to prove it. The Dragons did just that, shutting out Houston in the second half, despite being outgained. They were helped by two poorly thrown balls from Matt Hasselbeck, one which Al Harris returned all the way to the Houston 2-yard line. Seattle never earned a sack on Hasselbeck, but the pressure they were sending him clearly was working, and with no run game to fall back on the Gamblers were simply not making enough plays to keep drives alive. Meanwhile, Seattle took the lead on a 27-yard Leftwich to McDuffie pass very similar to the one earlier in the game. Once they had the lead, they fed the ball to Dillon, who would end the day with 118 yards on 20 carries, a 5.9 YPC average. They sprinkled in enough passing to keep the defense honest, and to sustain drives when needed. When Harris picked off Hasselbeck and gave the offense the ball at the Houston 2, it took 3 plays, but eventually a toss to Sproles gave Seattle a 14-point lead. Houston was broken. Down 14 with only 8 minutes to play, and no sign that they had the energy or the strategy to make up the difference, you could feel the deflation throughout the dome. The crowd was quiet, the offense somewhat listless, and every time Seattle touched the ball they managed to knock another 2 to 3 minutes off the clock. The Gamblers would finish the game with a failed 4th down and 7 attempt, and Seattle would celebrate as the most unlikely run in USFL playoff history had now taken the Dragons all the way to the Summer Bowl, knocking off the #3, #2, and #1 seeds in the west, in each team’s house, to do it. Coach Lewis praised pretty much everyone except Al Gore and Oprah in his post-game presser. From his assistants, to his young QB, his veteran linemen to his DBs. He even thanked the hotel which had turned away rowdy Houston revelers the night before, revelers intent on disrupting the sleep of the Dragons. Seattle would spend the rest of the week in Houston, preparing for the Summer Bowl and practicing at the Alexander Durley Sports Complex on the campus of HBCU Texas Southern University. Chicago is planning to practice Monday at home, and then fly to Houston on Tuesday after practice before setting up their final workouts at Rice University. Seattle Stuns the Nation with Historic Playoff Run I do not think it can be overstated just how historic Seattle’s run to the Summer Bowl is. Not only is it extremely rare for a club with a losing regular season record to qualify for the playoffs, but to run the table on three straight road games against home favorites is simply unheard of. Since the Wild Cat Format was adopted (with 10 playoff teams) in 1987, only two teams that played Wild Card games ever reached the Summer Bowl, and both were division winners that were #3 seeds and played the Wild Card round at home. No true Wild Card team has ever appeared in the Summer Bowl before, much less one with a 6-8 record. The 2003 Breakers were Southern division Champs at 9-5, beating Texas at home before upsetting LA and Denver on their path to the Summer Bowl. The 2001 Denver Gold made it to the Summer Bowl after qualifying as the 3rd Division Winner at 11-5, beating Portland at home, and then getting a road victory at LA before defeating the 8-8 Wild Card Wranglers at home, back in Denver in the 2001 Conference title game. So, Seattle, winning all 3 games on the road is a first. Seattle is living a dream that the USFL has not seen before, that a team at the lowest seed, one that barely qualified, can get hot and make it to the title game. They are not at the mountaintop yet, as the Chicago Machine, the team with the best record in the league, and sitting on a 7-game winning streak is standing in their way from one of the greatest Cinderella stories in sports history. Can Seattle muster up one more win? Or will the Machine grind up Cinderella on their way to the Windy City’s first league title? Bandits & Gamblers Deal with Losses on the Field and On Their Rosters Losing in the Conference Title Game, only one win away from a Summer Bowl, is a tough pill to swallow. When it is accompanied by the reality of player departures as well, it can feel even worse. That is the reality that the Gamblers and Bandits face this week as both teams pack up their locker rooms, and prepare for a long offseason, the pain of Sunday’s defeats still very much felt. Both clubs will have some players who do not return next February, when camps reopen. For Tampa Bay the free agents who now become open to the market include both backup QB’s, Rick Mirer and Ken Dorsey. Dorsey is still in talks with the Bandits, who hope to keep the former Hurricane as a backup to Culpepper, but with 2 expansion clubs and a lot of the other 24 teams also hoping to build depth at QB, there will be competition. Houston’s free agent list is slightly longer than that of Tampa Bay, with the biggest names being those of Fullback Theron Wilson, OT Andre Johnson, TE Bradford Banta (a former Bandit), and DT Howard Green. In addition to these losses, LB O.J. Brigance has announced his plan to retire, another veteran who will not return to the Gamblers. No Bandit players have yet to announce retirement officially, but there are rumors that center Craig Novitsky, who has been dealing with an ongoing hip injury, is considering stepping away. Both clubs now begin their focus on the offseason, beginning with setting their protected list for the upcoming Expansion Draft, and scouting the Free Agent pools of the USFL and NFL ahead of the opening of USFL Free Agency in two weeks and the NFL-USFL Transfer Window a week after that. Hackett Steps Down in WSH, Schottenheimer promoted. In a surprising turn of events, longstanding Washington Federals head coach Paul Hackett announced this week that he is stepping away from the game. He did not call the move a retirement, but stated that after 10 seasons as the head man in D.C. he needs to take time for himself and his family. This decision has apparently been part of discussions with Washington ownership for some time, as a transition has already been set up for Hackett’s secession. Defensive Coordinator Kurt Schottenheimer was immediately named the new head coach of the Federals. Schottenheimer, who came to work for Hackett at the beginning of the 2000 season as a Linebacker Coach, has been the DC for the past 2 years. This will be his first head coaching position. And yes, as you might have guessed, he is related to former Blitz and Machine head coach Marty Schottenheimer, Kurt is Marty’s younger brother. Terrell Owens wants to return to USFL It seems Terrell Owens is second guessing his decision to leave the USFL for the NFL 2 years ago. Owens, who left the Jacksonville Bulls for a lucrative contract with the NFL Eagles, has had several clashes with his head coach in Philadelphia, and is currently a free agent after he and the Eagles parted ways during the NFL offseason. Owens, who played 8 seasons with the Bulls, would be eligible to negotiate with any USFL team during the upcoming NFL-USFL transfer window. The 33-year old receiver, despite his issues with Head Coach Andy Reid in Philadelphia, still had solid numbers, putting up 1,102 yards and 9 TDs in 2003, 1,200 yards and 14 TDs in 2004. Owens could still sign with an NFL team for the Fall 2005 season, and then move to the USFL in the second transfer window in February, but, having experienced back-to-back seasons in 2005, it is also possible that Owens would take the extended rest that sitting out 2005 would give him, and then return to the USFL in 2006. No word yet from the extroverted (we are using a polite term) wideout as to teams that interest him, but we do not expect Jacksonville, which has built a solid WR group around Anquon Boldin, Javon Walker, and 2005 break out star Rashaun Woods, will have interest in resigning the flamboyant Owens. All-USFL Team & League Award Winners Named The build up to the Summer Bowl continues with the USFL holding its annual award ceremony Monday night in Houston. The gala event kicks off Summer Bowl Week with recognition of the 2005 season award winners and the 2005 All-USFL team. All winners, with the exception of members of the Dragons and Machine, were present to accept their awards and accolades, along with several celebrities and USFL legends. The awards given out on Monday were: League MVP: Perhaps the tightest race of the year, and for those who claim there is a bias against Ohio and 3-time QB Kerry Collins, this year’s MVP vote is likely to provide some fodder for their claims. Collins finished second in voting, despite leading the league in QB Rating and TDs. Maybe there is something of an anti-Collins vote in the works, as Collins fell 3 votes behind 2005 MVP Winner QB Drew Brees of Michigan. Brees finished the year as the #2 rated QB in the QB rating system, #2 in TDs with 33, both behind Collins. He also finished #2 in yards behind Drew Bledsoe of Boston, but what Brees can say that neither Collins or Bledsoe can refute is that he guided Michigan to a playoff berth, while both Ohio and Boston fell short. Brees's Michigan Panthers, in their 2nd season under defensive-minded head coach Dick LeBeau, made the postseason for the first time in the millennium, landing a Wild Cards spot with a 9-5 record. Considering that the Panthers finished the year with the 2nd rated scoring offense, despite have the 20th rated run game does show that Brees’s impact was huge for Michigan. While Collins and Bledsoe had strong run games with Eddie George and Tiki Barber among league leaders, Michigan depended on Brees and his connection with receivers Hines Ward, Laverneus Coles, and Bennie Joppru to produce offense. Offensive Player of the Year: Kerry Collins was not entirely shut out on Monday. In addition to being named to the All-USFL Team, Collins was recognized for his production by being named the Offensive POTY. While not the award that most Glory fans expected for their leader, the OPOTY recognizes the production Collins put forth in 2005: 239 of 352 (67.9%) in completions, 4,151 yards, 39 TDs to only 8 picks, and a league leading 135.3 QB rating. While fans of #5 were upset that he was passed over for a 4th MVP award, Collins himself was gracious in accepting the OPOTY, another accolade to add to a pretty crowded trophy case. Defensive Player of the Year: This award was only a controversy within the Chicago Machine locker room. The league’s top scoring defense had two outstanding candidates, DE Anthony Weaver and LB Brian Urlacher. Weaver put up huge numbers in his 4th season in the league, scoring an eye-popping 24 sacks in 14 games. He was also no slouch in the run game, garnering 60 takcles as well. But, the team captain for the defense, and one of the most feared defenders in the league, LB Brian Urlacher, would take home the award thanks to a season that saw him rack up 108 tackles, 5 sacks, 4 picks, and 2 defensive touchdowns for the Machine. Urlacher did it all, from calling the defensive adjustments, to run stuffing, blitzing, and playing the deep center in zone-2 coverages. He helped Chicago lead the league with only 16.5 points per game allowed, and he has them in the Summer Bowl, where he will absolutely be a concern for Seattle’s offensive coaching staff. Rookie of the Year: This one was a run-away vote, with Frank Gore of Nashville garnering every single first place vote. Gore came into the space which had been occupied by 4-time rushing champion Ahman Green and immediately took control of expectations and the role of lead back for the Knights. His 1,286 yards were not the highest total for a rookie in USFL History (an honor which Herschel Walker has held ever since his 1983 debut) but they were enough to edge Tiki Barber of Boston for the rushing crown this season. During his rookie campaign, Gore topped 100 yards on the ground 7 times in 14 games, the most 100-yard games of any rusher this year. It was not particularly close in the voting, despite strong rookie campaigns from LB Lofa Tatupu of Los Angeles, WR Vince Jackson of Pittsburgh, and LB Cameron Wake of Washington. Coach of the Year: Another contested category as the number of teams who jumped from also-ran to playoff contenders was impressive this year. Votes were garnered by Baltimore’s Tom Coughlin, Michigan’s Dick LeBeau, and Houston’s Wade Phillips, but the leader in votes and the 2005 Coach of the Year goes to Oakland’s Dennis Green. Green ended one of the league’s longest playoff droughts this year by capturing the Pacific Division title for his 8-6 Oakland Invader squad, a 4-game improvement over the 4-10 squad from 2004. The division title marks the first time Oakland has qualified for the playoffs since 1998, a painful 7 season stretch of futility. The Invaders came together under Green, improving on both sides of the ball, with their 27.9 PPG on offense a solid 8 points per game better than in 2004. While there were certainly many deserving candidates, only Green came away this year with a division title, and so, Green also comes away with the Coach of the Year award. And, of course, the All-USFL team, which is never without some controversy, was also highlighted, with video montages of each player. This year was a particularly difficult year and we could create a very solid team simply from those who missed out on being named. We now present your 2005 All-USFL team, and then will highlight some of the deserving players who simply could not fit in to the limited roster of the honor: QB: Kerry Collins (OHI), Drew Brees (MGN), Drew Bledsoe (BOS) HB: Frank Gore (NSH-rookie), Tiki Barber (BOS), Ron Dayne (BAL) FB: Justin Green (BOS-rookie) TE: Stephen Alexander (OHI), Adrian Cooper (MEM) WR: Chad Ochocinco (BOS), Antonio Freeman (HOU), Hines Ward (MGN), Joey Galloway (OHI), David Boston (SEA) OT: Jonathan Ogden (LA), Lomas Brown (SEA), Matt Willig (MGN) OG: Jamie Nails (BOS), Vince Manuwai (SEA), Ruben Brown (PHI) C: Trey Teague (TBY), Mike Flynn (SEA) DE: Anthony Weaver (CHI), Mike Rucker (BIR), Jevon Kearse (LA) DT: Sean Gilbert (TBY), Pat Williams (ORL), Joe Salave’a (OAK) LB: Brian Urlacher (CHI), Kevin Mitchell (TBY), Kerwin Bell (DEN), Joey Porter (LV), Mike Vrabel (JAX), Takeo Spikes (SEA) CB: Deion Sanders (NJ), Charles Woodson (WSH, Quentin Jammer (PHI), Will Allen (OAK) SS: Pearson Prioleau (OAK), Adam Archuleta (BAL) FS: Will Allen (OAK), Anhony Dorsett (PHI) K: Tim Seder (CHI) P: Josh Miller (TBY) A lot of great players on this list, to be sure, but a lot of big names and big seasons left off the roster as well. It is odd to see an All-USFL team without Eddie George, Randy Moss, Jim Pyne, or James Farrior, especially with the strong years each have had. Add to the list of “close but no cigar” seasons those of Houston QB Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle TE Ken Dilger, WR Rashaun Woods of Jacksonville, DE Regan Upshaw of Philadelphia, Chicago DT Brentson Buckner, and two very good strong safeties, Washington’s Bob Sanders and Memphis’s Coy Wire. Expansion Draft Adds New Wrinkle to USFL Offseason There is no doubt but that the 2006 Expansion Draft is making life harder for all 24 USFL GM’s this offseason. Not only do teams need to be concerned about roster holes created by retirement and free agency, or prepare for the 2006 Collegiate and Territorial Drafts, but now they have to take into account the reality that November’s expansion draft will mean that only 12 players from each team are guaranteed to be back next year. The Expansion draft is designed in such a way that each team initially can protect only 12 players, meaning that 10 starters and nearly all backups will be open to be selected by Atlanta and St. Louis. A team can lose up to 5 players from their roster, and each time a player is selected they get to protect a new player, but losing 5 starters from a roster, which almost certainly will happen to each club, will be a huge issue for most teams. So how do you strategize? What do you do to protect your team. We spoke with 12 of the league’s 24 general managers, and these are the strategies that most clubs seem to be implementing, not all for each team, but from these five strategies you will see the patterns on rosters when the list of protected players is released in September. 1. Key Position Strategy The first of the major strategies being used, and perhaps the most common, is to identify several “high impact” positions on the roster and to focus on protecting starters, and in some cases backups, in those positions. The most commonly-cited position, as you would expect, is QB, and the reality is that we do not expect any team with a settled QB position to leave that QB unprotected. Following the QB we find a lot of emphasis on defensive end (particularly left end), cornerback, halfback, wide receiver, middle linebacker, and strong safety. If there is any position that Atlanta and St. Louis will have no trouble finding it is punter, followed by kicker. Do not expect to see a lot of special teams players protected regardless of the system. 2. Veteran Roster Strategy Another popular strategy which several GM’s emphasized to us was the idea of protecting veteran leadership. This can be done in tandem with the Key Position strategy, or could be independent of it. The key here is to look over the roster and determine which veterans are leaders on the team, capable of mentoring younger players, and keeping the locker room intact even with a lot of new faces on teams. Protecting veterans often also means protecting the highest paid players on the team, which can produce its own issues if teams must consider their cap space, so there is a chance that even teams using this strategy may identify several veterans on large contracts who could be left unprotected. 3. Top Performer Strategy This strategy goes without saying, however it varies from both the Veteran and Key Position strategies in one key way, the focus is on results, not positions or contracts. If a team has one of the league’s best tight ends, guards, or outside linebackers, they may protect that player despite those positions being generally considered less essential than QB or DE. What this essentially means is that even if teams predominantly stick to one of the other strategies, they are not going to let an All-USFL caliber player go unprotected, regardless of position. Does this mean that punter Josh Miller or kicker Tim Seder are safe, probably not, but of the 22 starters across each roster Atlanta and St. Louis should not expect to sign All-USFL players at any position. 4. Sweet Spot Strategy This is an intriguing option, one that was discussed by only 2 of the 12 GM’s we spoke with. The plan here is to focus on players with between 3-7 years of experience. The belief is that this period is the sweet spot between learning the pro game and the eventual deterioration of the body due to the rigors of the game. Players who are now fully engaged in leadership, and at their physical and performance peak on each club. Will this strategy mean that a Drew Bledsoe or Eddie George goes unprotected simply because they are outside of this range? Unlikely, but it could be the difference between protecting a team’s defensive captain vs. the younger, more physical defensive player in his 3rd or 4th year. 5. Contract Longevity Strategy This is unlikely to be the predominant strategy taken by teams, but when it comes down to tough decisions between two players, we could see this come into play. The idea is to protect the player who has 3-4 years left on their contract and not the guy who could be a free agent at the end of 2006. It makes sense. Why protect a player, get only 1 year from them, and then see them leave? Of course, what complicates this even more is the fact that there will be another round of expansion drafting in 2008, so even players with 4-5 years on their contracts may not be staying through both rounds. Expect this to come into play only in cases where teams have two players of more or less equal ability, say two cornerbacks or two guards, and want to protect one. This means players on the 2006 free agent list (those whose contracts run out next year) may be available to the two expansion clubs. A lot of options, but the reality is that both Atlanta and St. Louis are going to have to have their own strategies as well. Unlikely to sign any top performers, they must decide whether to build their team around veterans, young athletic players, or a mix of the two. Add in questions of leadership, team cohesion, and the style of play that both clubs want to implement, and you have a very complex puzzle to solve. That puzzle will start to take shape with free agency in 2 weeks, as we expect both Jay Gruden and Art Shell to push for some early signings before the Expansion Draft, but with 30 players for each team coming from the expansion draft, we expect that will be where the meat of the roster will be built. So, here we are, only days before Summer Bowl 2006 and we find ourselves with two very different stories to be told. From the East we have the Chicago Machine, who rode their #1 defense and a conservative offense to the #1 seed. From the West we have the Seattle Dragons, who finished the regular season at 6-8, but who have built up a strong following as the underdog team of the playoffs, beating all three Western Conference division champs on the road to get to Houston and the Summer Bowl. Las Vegas, as predicted, has made Chicago a strong favorite, a 7-point favorite, to take the trophy for the first time, and yet, popular sentiment stands with Seattle, who have captured the attention of the nation with their unanticipated and unprecedented playoff success. As we have done with past games, we look at the tale of the tape, and, just as we have with each Seattle matchup, the opponent comes out on top. Chicago clearly looks like the stronger club and their 11-3 record this season seems pretty clear evidence that they are not a team to be overlooked, but we have been wrong about Seattle week after week, and so we wonder if there is not just a little magic in their postseason run, magic that makes the numbers unimportant. Still, we should at least provide you with the basics: PASSING: Byron Leftwich has the higher QBR (101.9 vs. George’s 84.1), but Jeff George has thrown for more yards (3,000 to 2,978), but we have to remember that Cody Pickett got several starts while Leftwich was injured early in the season. The reality is that Seattle uses the vertical game far more than Chicago, which prefers more of a ball-control offense, using Curtis Conway and Donald Driver primarily on mid-range and shorter routes. Judging what Driver does against what David Boston does is like comparing a solid pickup truck to a 2-seat roadster. You have to know what you want out of the car to determine which is better suited to the task. We call this category even, since both teams have the type of passing game that meets their goals. RUSHING: Here again we have a contrast of styles, Chicago using a 2 back system with Michael Turner and Brian Westbrook, while Seattle depends on Corey Dillon, suing backup Darren Sproles essentially for his receiving and special teams skills. That said, Sproles is an x-factor, as Westbrook can be, and either one can break a short screen into an 80-yard score. But, when push comes to shove, and you want to either gain that key third-and-short, or kill the clock at the end of the game, Corey Dillon is a better option. We give a slight edge to Seattle on that account. OFFENSIVE SCHEME: When it comes to drawing up a coherent offensive strategy, we have to give the edge to Marty Mornhinweg. Chicago is not the Ohio Glory or Boston Cannons, trying to blow teams out, we know that. Their goal is to hold the ball, take advantage of short fields provided by the D, slow down the pace of the game, and limit opposition possessions. They are no slouches when it comes to scoring, finishing 4th in the league with 382 points this season, but they do this without the flash and fireworks of many of the other league-leading offenses. Seattle has the lower-scoring, but more explosive offense. They often rely on big plays from Byron Leftwich to get the job done. Sustained drives are harder to come by, and a slow rate of play does not help them. We give the edge here to Chicago as the more consistent and more coherent offense. PASS RUSH: Well, this one is obvious. Anthony Weaver’s 24 sacks are only 7 short of Seattle’s total as a team. The Dragons recorded only 31 sacks all season, while Chicago led the league with 77. That is a huge disparity, and in a game where pressure is always a factor, Chicago can bring the heat and put the screws on Byron Leftwich in a way that the Dragons simply cannot imitate. Advantage Chicago. RUN DEFENSE: Another huge advantage for the Machine. Chicago’s rush defense was the best in the league by a large margin, limiting teams to only 923 yards all year (the 2nd best was Boston at 1,117). There will be few easy runs for Corey Dillon in the Summer Bowl. Seattle’s run defense was not bad, about middle of the pack, allowing 1,258 yards in 14 games, and they have played well in the post-season, helping to contain Frank Gore and Ricky Williams, but Chicago is capable of manhandling the O-line in the run game, and that is a clear advantage for them. SECONDARY: If Byron Leftwich can get protection, there is hay to be made against Chicago’s secondary. Of course, Chicago, often playing with a lead, and playing as they do against the run, did tend to see a lot more passing than most teams, so it is hard to gauge whether or not their 3,664 yards allowed is a bad thing or a sign that they forced teams to throw while playing from behind. Seattle was right there with Chicago at 3,620, only one place better than the Machine, but the Dragons saw a lot fewer frantic passing attacks than the Machine. Even with relatively even numbers, we have to give Chicago the advantage here. DEFENSIVE SCHEME: Again, Chicago gets the advantage. How could they not with the #1 defense in the league? They are brutal against the run, led by Brian Urlacher and Tommy Polley in the LB Corps. They have a solid center with Brentson Buckner and Ted Washington clogging up the running lanes, and they have a SS in Anthony Prior who is not afraid to hit and hit hard. Seattle’s scheme depends on a lot of coverage adjustments. Linebackers Takeo Spikes, Godfrey Miles and Piso Tinoisamoa play a large part in pass coverage, but the biggest piece of the puzzle for Seattle is CB Marcus Truffant’s ability to take away a team’s top receiver. Truffant has been solid most weeks, but has had some gaffs as well. But, here is where the difference in styles leans towards Chicago. Seattle has one key receiver to watch, David Boston, but Chicago is happy to switch between Driver, Conway, and TE Jim Kliensasser, depending on coverage. That minimizes Truffant’s effectiveness, because the Machine will just look elsewhere. COACHING: We like both head coaches, but the advantage here might be at the coordinator level. Marvin Lewis does a bit of everything, and he clearly is a strong motivator of his men, as seen in the Seattle playoff run. Marty Mornhinweg tends to focus more on overall gameplan, and then on offensive strategy on gameday, while Ron Rivera, Chicago’s DC (and a top candidate for the job in Pittsburgh next year), is the architect of Chicago’s devastating defense. That division of labor can be an advantage for the Machine, but if the Dragons can keep the game close, Lewis’s motivational skills could help Seattle make a final push. OUR PICK: This is so frustrating. Week after week we have picked against Seattle (as have most others, it is not just us), and week after week the Dragons have made us look bad. And yet, when we look at this matchup it is nearly impossible not to expect Chicago to win this game. This is a defense that held down the Stars and the Bandits, a team that scored 41 against the Nashville Knights, beat the defending champs by 17, and allowed only 16.5 points per game while scoring 27.3. They come in with an 11-3 record (13-3 with their two playoff wins). Meanwhile this Seattle team had two separate 4-game losing streaks this year, but somehow have found a way to win 6 in a row, three in the regular season and 3 in the playoffs. We cannot discount what that means. So, do we get on the bandwagon and hope for a fairy tale ending for the Dragons, or do we go with team Evil Stepmother and pick the team that appears to be better across the board. As much as we love a good story, and Seattle’s run has been a great one, we have to go with the obvious answer here. Chicago is the better team. Our pick is that the clock strikes midnight for Cinderella and the Machine bring home the John Bassett Trophy to the Windy City. Chicago 23-13.

We said last week that a divisional round without upsets seemed unlikely, but perhaps not as unlikely as which road team came out of the weekend unvanquished. The Seattle Dragons, the last team in, the only team with a losing record to ever win a Wild Card game, has done it again. Seattle upended the Oakland Invaders, who had beaten them twice in the regular season. It took a last minute TD to do it, but Seattle got it done. In all the other games the home favorite held court and advanced. Houston trounced Denver in a one-sided game no one expected, Chicago thoroughly outplayed the Stars in front of a rowdy crowd in the Windy City, and the Tampa Bay Bandits got 2 TDs and 139 yards from Randy Moss to knock the Federals out and advance to the Conference Championships. Four very different games, four very interesting stories moving forward. We start in Chicago, where the weekend kicked off on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Chi Town. PHILADELPHIA 10 CHICAGO 31 It was a beautiful day in Chicago, 83 and sunny at kickoff, and a boisterous crowd of 49,202, one of the largest crowds in Machine football history, was on hand to root on their home town team. The Machine gave the fans plenty to cheer about right from the get-go, scoring twice in the first quarter to take a 14-0 lead on the visiting Stars from Philadelphia. Jeff George connected with Curtis Conway for the opening score on Chicago’s second possession, and only 2 minutes later, after a Philly turnover, Brian Westbrook got into the end zone on a swing pass from George to make the score 14-0. Philadelphia needed time to get their feet under them as Chicago’s defense played lights out football in the first quarter, but the Stars started to find ways to move the ball in the 2nd, getting their first points on a 2nd and 2 run by Ahman Green, that busted the Chicago line, and went for 47 yards and the score. It would be the longest play of the day for the Stars, and got the small contingent of Philly fans active for the first time in the game. Chicago headed to the locker rooms at the half up by 7, and came out in the 3rd quarter with a newfound energy, again scoring on their next two drives, all but ending the competitive nature of the game. The Machine took the second half kickoff and in 11 plays marched the ball down the field, a drive that ended with Brian Westbrook’s second TD on the day, this one a 13-yard run. Westbrook would finish the day with 10 carries for 74 yards, while Michael turner had 18 carries for 58 as Chicago was more than happy to run, run, run as time ticked away from the Stars. Philadelphia struggled all game long to get into scoring range, and a Mike Nugent field goal were to be their only 2nd half points. The 4th quarter was more a beach party for the sunbathing Chicago fans than a close game as Chicago simply kept grinding out the clock and Philadelphia went 1 for 3 on 4th downs, with two possessions ending with a turnover on downs. The win moves Chicago into the Conference Title Game, their first appearance there since 1995, when Dan McGwire led the Machine to a 12-4 record and one game from the Summer Bowl. Chicago will host the Eastern Conference Final next week and the tanned and happy fans are likely to be back in force. SEATTLE 24 OAKLAND 20 Oakland too saw great weather for their game against the Dragons, but their fans, all 41,010, likely did not leave the stadium with the same sense of summer fun, as the visiting Dragons kept their Cinderella story alive by knocking off the Invaders. Byron Leftwich and the Seattle defense both came up big when they needed to as the 6-8 Dragons upended the Pacific Division champs on Saturday night in Oakland. The game started well for the home team, with the invaders taking an early 13-0 on three consecutive scoring drives. Trent had some issues on 3rd down, forcing the home team to settle for field goals twice, but he did find Teyo Johnson for the first TD of the game, and with 5 minutes left in the 2nd quarter, the Invaders had a 13-0 lead. Seattle would go into 2-minute mode after having failed to score on their first 4 drives. The strategy worked, as they moved the ball effectively while using a no-huddle strategy. With Leftwich connecting with 5 different receivers on the drive, his final “toss” was not a pass at all, but a toss run to the outside, where Dillon found the corner and dragged CB Aaron Beasley over the line for six. The game went to half with Oakland up 13-6, but Seattle feeling that they had turned a corner. The 3rd quarter belonged to the Dragons, as they outgained Oakland 102-34 in the period. It started with an opening drive that killed 6 minutes before Seattle was forced to settle for a Dave Rayner field goal. After a quick stop of the Invaders, Seattle was back in action, and again, they had a long drive, this one taking nearly 7 minutes, and ending with Leftwich finding Reggie Brown for a 4-yard TD that gave the visitors their first lead of the day. Down 17-13, Oakland changed gears. They fed the ball to Ricky Williams, and the big back found holes in the Seattle defense. Of his 113 yards on the day, 66 would be on this drive. But, as they Invaders got the ball into the red zone, a tired Williams had to be swapped out for Justin Fargas. Oakland showed run again, but instead of giving the ball to Fargas, Trent Green kept it, and found Plaxico Burress in single coverage. The lanky receiver brought down a high toss and Oakland was back on top, 20-17. The two clubs traded defensive stands, with Seattle getting a pick of Leftwich on the Dragons’ next drive, but Seattle stuffing Verron Hayes on a 3rd and 2 run, forcing the Invaders to punt. Seattle got the ball back with just over 3 minutes to play, sitting on their own 19. Once again the switched to a no-huddle, fast paced attack, and once again they found success. David Boston brought in a 17-yard pass on the first play of the drive, then Corey Dillon ran for 9 on the next. After an incompletion on 2nd and 1, Dillon converted the first down. Leftwich would connect with Ken Dilger and O.J. McDuffie to get the ball to the Oakland 31 before spiking it to kill the clock. 2nd and 10 from the 31 and again Leftwich looked for David Boston. The big receiver had a step on the defender, and the ball grazed off his fingers, but the officials saw that CB Keith Smith had held onto the right arm of Boston and gave the ball to Seattle at the 9 yard line. The fans were none to happy, demanding a replay, but there was no overturning the call. Seattle ball on the 9, down 3 with 37 seconds to play. Leftwich faked the ball into the belly of Darren Sproles, rolled left, then looked back to Sproles in the flat, set up perfectly for a late-developing screen. Sproles took the ball, juked the LB out and high stepped his way into the endzone for the winning score. Seattle had done it again. The plucky 6-8 club that no one thought deserved a spot in the postseason had knocked off the Pacific Division Champs and would now wait to see if they were headed to the mountains of Denver or the bayous of Houston to play in the Conference Championship game. WASHINGTON 25 TAMPA BAY 30 It was 93 degrees at kickoff in Tampa, 107 on the playing surface, but a cool gulf breeze helped to keep things from being completely out of control. The Federals and Bandits would deal with the sun, but mostly they would deal with each other as they went back and forth all game in this pivotal divisional playoff. The winner would head to Chicago the next week, one game closer to the Summer Bowl. Both clubs found that their best offensive weapons were effective on the day. For Washington that was HB Deuce McCallister, who would tally 150 yards and a TD on 18 carries. For Tampa Bay it was the big outside receivers, with Randy Moss making a couple of big plays on two long TD scores, while Chris Doering was able to rack up 104 yards on the day, keeping several drives alive with key third down receptions. The game went back and forth all afternoon. Tampa Bay kicked things off with a short Nate Kaeding field goal to put the first points on the board. Washington countered with a Doug Pelfrey kick on their next drive. On the next drive, Tampa Bay was backed up to their own 9 yard line, but on 2nd and 8, they caught Washington in single coverage, playing the run, and Daunte Culpepper found a racing Randy Moss down the sideline for an improbably but heart-stopping 91-yard TD toss. The Stadium erupted. Washington’s next points would come on another very similar play. After punter Michael Barnes again cornered the Bandits back on their own 5, Coach Spurrier called another play action pass, hoping to catch Moss in single coverage again. Culpepper backed up to throw, but almost immediately a flag came out as there was holding in the endzone. That’s a safety, and Tampa gave up the ball and 2 points to the Federals. Washington would capitalize on the good fortune, taking the safety kickoff and quickly putting more points on the board. Deuce McCallister would break free for a 25-yard scoring run that gave the Feds a 12-10 lead. But the half was not over, not by a long shot. Tampa went right back to taking shots, and this time Culpepper again was able to connect with Randy Moss. The former Marshall Thundering Herd, thundered into the endzone for his 2nd score of the day, a 45-yarder that put Tampa Bay back on top by 5, 17-12. The Bandits would score twice more in the half, both long Nate Kaeding field goals, and Tampa Bay would go in to the half up 23-12. Washington tried to claw their way back in the 3rd quarter, but Tampa Bay’s defense thwarted both red zone drives, forcing the Federals to kick. By the end of the period it was still Tampa Bay on top, 23-18. Tampa opened the final period with their most patient, sustained drive of the day. It would take Culpepper and the offense over 6 minutes and 12 plays to get on the board one last time, but the short scoring toss to Jeremy Shockey gave Tampa Bay a 30-18 lead with only 6 minutes to play. Washington would get another score, to make it a one score game, as Deuce McCallister took a swing pass 19-yards for points, but they failed on the onside kick, and, needing to stop Tampa Bay on 3rd and 2 to get the ball back, the Federals defense gambled on an all-out blitz, and Culpepper found Jeremy Shockey just as the line got to him. The first down allowed Tampa Bay to run out the clock with a couple of kneel downs, and the Bandits were headed to Chicago. Daunte Culpepper was named the player of the game for his 371 yard, 3 TD performance, but in fairness,the true honor might be for left tackle Ross Verba,who kept Washington’s Greg Spires off of his QB for the entire game. Washington was forced to commit blitzers to get to Culpepper, and that meant that the 1-on-1 coverages that Steve Spurrier’s offense counts on were available. A good win for the Bandits, who return to the Eastern Conference Finals for the 2nd year in a row, after losing to New Jersey at home last year. DENVER 17 HOUSTON 42 No weather issues inside the closed dome at NRG Stadium, but perhaps Denver could have used some Houston humidity to change things up. This was predicted to be a close game and very likely a defensive battle, but Houston simply had Denver’s number all game long. Denver’s pass rush only got to Matt Hasselbeck one time all game, and the Houston QB made Denver pay, throwing for 3 TDs on an 18 for 24 day. After Denver got the first points of the day on a Lonnie Johnson TD catch, Houston rattled off 25 unanswered points, including a safety and TDs from Antonio Freeman and Dan Campbell. They would later add two more touchdowns, one each from David Patten and Mike Anderson as they ran away with this one. The final total was 42-17, and Houston set themselves up for a home game in the Conference Final, a game that could send them to the Summer Bowl, also at home in Houston’s NRG Stadium. With Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, and Kiki DeAyala all on hand, the Gamblers looked the part of a resurgent power in the West with this win. Next up for them, the Cinderella squad, the Seattle Dragons. Will Houston play evil Queen to this Cinderella and punch their ticket to a home-game Summer Bowl? Retirement Announcements Continue to Come In While not a tidal wave, we do have a few more retirements to announce. The biggest, but not a surprise, came after Denver’s loss in Houston, when Mark Brunell confirmed what many had believed, announcing at the post-game press conference, that he had played his last game in the black and gold. Brunell played his entire career in Denver, arriving in 1993 as a rookie. He would get his first start the following year, and would remain the starter in Denver for 12 seasons. At 35, Brunell is not completely outside of the range of veteran QB’s but when the body tells you enough is enough, you have to listen. After all, in his 12 years as a starter, Brunell has been sacked 120 times, and hit far more. He retires as Denver’s all-time leader in Attempts, Completions, Passing Yards, and Passing TDs. His triumph was in 2000 when he led Denver to its only league title, a 27-20 victory over the Stars. While Brunell was certainly the biggest name in the USFL to hang up the helmet this week, he was not alone. Jacksonville’s Sam Adams announced he would retire after the Bulls’ defeat in the Wild Card Round. A 12-year veteran of the Panthers and Bulls, Adams was a stalwart and reliable piece of Jacksonville’s defense since coming over from the Panthers in 2000. Memphis says farewell to one of its brightest stars as Tight End Adrian Cooper calls it a career at the age of 34. Cooper, who played 15 sesons in the league, the last 11 in Memphis, became a star after the 1996 season, when he caught 91 passes for 1,024 yards and 8 TDs. Long overshadowed by Sterling Sharp and Keith Jackson, Cooper would go on to record 8 consecutive seasons of at least 800 yards receiving before an injury-plagued 2004 campaign held him to only 586. He holds Memphis records for receiving yards and receiving TDs, surpassing the incomparable Mel Gray in both categories. Two other retirements of note as Pittsburgh HB Kenny Bynum and Las Vegas CB Steve israel also declared their intention to file the retirement notification with the league. Bynum leaves Pittsburgh after two seasons serving as Terrell Davis’s backup. He had come to Pittsburgh hoping to bounce back after injuries cut short his 2003 season, only one year after rushing for 1,039 yards with the Jacksonville Bulls. While Bynum was productive in Pittsburgh, averaging 4.1 yards per carry in his two limited stints with the Maulers, he was largely used to spell Terrell Davis. Steve Israel came to prominence as a member of the St. Louis Knights. Drafted by the Knights in their first season after relocating from LA, Israel quickly found a role as a nickel back and then as a starter for one of the better defenses in the league. He played with the Knights in both St. Louis and Nashville before spending his final season with the Las Vegas Thunder. He reties with a career total of 30 interceptions and 845 tackles. New Free Agents Hit the Market With the elimination of four clubs in this week’s Divisional round, more players saw their contracts end and their ability to play the market begin. Among the notable players who will soon enter the free agent market we have HB Rod Smart, WR Danny Farmer, and RT Kevin Landoldt of the Denver Gold; HB Verron Hayes, QB Rob Johnson, and WR Karsten Bailey from the Invaders; Philadelphia TE Marcus Pollard, along with QB Will Furrer and FB Reinaldo Deal. Finally, Washington will have to compete to resign LB Michael Barrow, WR Cedrick Tillman, LB Dwayne Rudd, DT Jim Flanagan, and WR Travis McGriff. Of the newly released players, expect a lot of interest in Barrow and Smart, two solid contributors who simply could not come to terms with their clubs. We don’t see either Will Furrer or Rob Johnson garnering much of a market, particularly not in a year where there are several backup QB’s already available. LA Finds Their Man in Boston’s Hue Jackson The LA Express wasted no time hiring Hue Jackson, inking the Boston OC to a contract only 24 hours after his interview with the club in LA. Jackson, who began his USFL career on the staff with Al Luginbill in Ohio, went to Boston as the OC with Coach Fox when the club relocated from Atlanta. In Boston he helped to craft the offense around Drew Bledsoe and Tiki Barber that took off when Chad Ochocinco came over from the Glory. The Express are hoping that with talent like Cade McNown, DeShaun Foster, Tory Holt, and Keyshawn Johnson, Coach Jackson can craft a similarly devastating spread offense. Of course, with the recent retirements of Mo Lewis and Aeneas Williams, Coach Jackson may also need to devote some time to a defense in transition. New Orleans Finds a Buyer The New Orleans Breakers believe they have found their man, well, men. The Breakers have submitted a proposal for the sale of Joe Canizaro’s majority share of the Breakers. The sale involves a splitting of Canizaro’s share, with 10% to be purchased by minority owner David Dixon, providing him with 52% of the franchise and making him the majority owner. The remaining shares would be sold to James and Thomas Duff of Hatttiesburg, Mississippi. The Duff Brothers are investors and owners of Southern Tire Mart, a chain of automobile supply franchises. The Duffs fit the bill as locally-based owners who will agree to retain New Orleans as the franchise location, and will agree to the structure of the deal which makes Dixon the majority owner and CEO of the franchise. The Breakers have been one of the league’s most consistent moneymakers and attendance leaders despite an up and down decade of play on the field. The deal is thought to be in the ballpark of $250,000,000 for the minority share, not a bad investment for Canizaro, who got into the USFL with barely over a $5M investment in 1986. The deal will be reviewed by the USFL legal team in both New York and New Orleans, but approval is anticipated by the Fall meeting of the league owners. Summer Bowl 2006 Logo Released One week earlier than expected, the USFL has released the logo for the 2006 Summer Bowl to be located in Philadelphia’s newly christened Lincoln Financial Field. The 2006 logo features many familiar elements of the Philadelphia skyline, including the Mint and Freedom Hall, along with the secondary logo of the Stars, the Liberty Bell. The “O” in “Bowl” is a brilliant sun with rays of orange and gold. The entire logo is rendered in the very summer colors of the Stars, red, orange, and gold. Across the bottom is a script “Philadelphia” in the style of the signatures found on the Declaration of Independence. The 2006 Summer Bowl will be the 2nd USFL title game to be held in the City of Brotherly Love. Veterans Stadium played host to the then “USFL Championship Game” in 1988, a game that saw Houston take their first title by defeating the Memphis Showboats, 17-13. This is the first time a Northeastern team has hosted the title game since New Jersey played host in 1996, although, technically, the Pittsburgh Summer Bowl of 2002 was, at the time, a Northeastern squad hosting, though now they play in the Central Division. Following Philadelphia, the USFL will head out west to play the 2007 title game in the new domed and climate controlled stadium in Glendale, Arizona which will be home to the Wranglers and NFL Cardinals, before returning to the Southeast when Jacksonville hosts the game in the summer of 2008. Two very different games between the East and West. We have the top two seeds in the East getting ready for battle, while out west we see the #1 seed, Houston, preparing for an unexpected foe, the #6 seed, Seattle. Here is what you need to know to prepare for both games. #2 Tampa Bay Bandits (10-4) @ #1 Chicago Machine (11-3) Sunday, July 10 @ 1pm ET Soldier Field, Chicago 2005 Meetings: Chicago defeated Tampa Bay 20-3 in Week 11. Rankings: Chicago, despite having a lower yardage total than Tampa Bay, averages nearly 3 points per game more than the Bandits. This is likely due to short fields produced by the higher-ranked Machine defense. Chicago is #1 in overall scoring defense in the league, allowing only 16.5 PPG, however, Tampa Bay is also quite solid in this category, allowing only 2.3 points per game more than the Machine. Where Tampa Bay excels is in takeaways, where they are second only to New Jersey with a +19 turnover margin. Scoring: Tampa Bay 24.1 PPG (7th) Chicago 27.3 PPG (4th) Yardage: Tampa Bay 354.9 YPG (8th) Chicago 341.0 YPG (10th) Scoring Defense: Tampa Bay 18.8 PPG (6th) Chicago 16.5 PPG (1st) Yardage Defense: Tampa Bay 364.6 (19th) Chicago 327.6 YPG (10th) Turnover Diff.: Tampa Bay + 19 (2nd) Chicago -6 (23rd) Top Performers: Tampa Bay: QB Daunte Culpepper, HB Willis McGahee, WR Randy Moss, LB Kevin Mitchell, CB Samari Rolle. Chicago: QB Jeff George, HB Michael Turner, HB Brian Westbrook, WR Curtis Conway, WR Donald Driver, LB Brian Urlacher, DE Anthony Weaver, DE Simeon Rice. OUTLOOK: Earlier this year Chicago shut down the Tampa Bay offense, winning handily at home. They face the same team at home again, and look to do much the same. In the earlier game Chicago was able to make mincemeat of Tampa Bay’s line, recording 9 sacks of Culpepper. The other big advantage Chicago had in that game was Michael Turner, who had his only 100-yard game of the year against the Bandits. One bright spot for Tampa Bay was that they were able to get Randy Moss in single coverage against Chicago. As we saw against the Federals, if they can do that again, they could produce some big plays. Tampa Bay has lived by takeaways this season, so expect them to try to swat at the ball whenever they can get more than two defenders in on a tackle. Takeaways were not as prevalent for Chicago this year, but they still had the #1 scoring defense in football, so Tampa Bay will need to take advantage of every opportunity to get the win. OUR PICK: We are going to go with the Machine to hold court at home. Their offense is not as explosive as Tampa Bay’s but it is consistent, and their defense can make any team abandon their gameplan. We expect the Bandits to try to use the pass as their primary weapon, so expect Chicago to once again pressure Culpepper on most downs. We think Chicago takes this one, 21-17. #6 Seattle Dragons (6-8) @ #1 Houston Gamblers (9-5) Sunday, July 10 @ 5pm ET NRG Stadium, Houston 2005 Meetings: Houston defeated Seattle 30-24 in Week 4. Rankings: The rankings all favor Houston, who is Top 10 in each category. The biggest disparity is in yardage allowed, where Houston ranks first in the league while Seattle is in the lower half of the league. The only advantage Tampa Bay has is in turnover margin for the season. Scoring: Seattle 23.0 PPG (13th) Houston 23.6 YPG (10th) Yardage: Seattle 370.5 YPG (5th) Houston 357.6 YPG (7th) Scoring Defense: Seattle 22.6 PPG (13th) Houston 18.6 PPG (4th) Yardage Defense: Seattle 348.4 YPG (16th Houston 286.4 YPG (1st) Turnover Diff.: Seattle +10 (9th) Houston +7 (11th) Top Performers: Seattle: QB Byron Leftwich, HB Corey Dillon, WR David Boston, WR O.J. McDuffie, LB Takeo Spikes, CB Marcus Truffant, CB Al Harris, DT Gilbert Brown. Houston: QB Matt Hasselbeck, HB Mike Anderson, WR Antonio Freeman, WR Roy Williams, LB Sam Cowart, CB Ronde Barber, DE Kavika Pittman, DE Osi Umenyiura. OUTLOOK: I think it is easy to assume that very few people had Seattle getting this far. But, they have already beaten both Nashville and Oakland, two division champions, to get to this game, so perhaps we should not take them lightly. Houston is the better team on paper, and they are playing at home with a chance to represent the West at their home stadium in Summer Bowl 2005. As much as America loves a Cinderella story, Seattle has a lot going against them. The best chance for the Dragons is to find ways to get Corey Dillon on track for 100 yards, and hope they can force Houston to run the ball more than they are comfortable with. The Dragons could use the nickel as their primary defense, as that was effectively done by New Orleans in a surprise win a few weeks ago. If they can force Houston to use a run game that they are not entirely comfortable with, that could slow things down, keep Seattle in the game, and then hope that Byron Leftwich has some magic in him. OUR PICK: We feel foolish picking against Seattle for a third straight week, but most Cinderella stories end at one point or another. Everything logical says Houston should win this game, and when you add in the ability for the Gamblers to play the Summer Bowl at home, that has to be an added incentive for them to go all out in this game. We think Houston ends the fairy tale and secures a trip right back to NRG Stadium for Summer Bowl 2005. Houston wins 27-13.