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New season, new beginnings. Twenty Four USFL clubs all hoping to get off on the right foot and show their mettle. Twelve winners, twelve losers, and a lot to dissect. This is the nature of the game. It is a struggle to prove yourself, to triumph, to overcome obstacles and find the path to victory. A new season, a new chance to strive, to struggle, and to survive, all in pursuit of the glimmering prize, recognition as the best in the game. GENERALS 17 DRAGONS 14 OVERTIME The season kicked off on a misty Friday Night in Seattle with the league champion Generals taking on the Pacific Division Champion Dragons at the newly-named Qwest Field. Terry Glen put on a show but the Dragons had enough to stay in this game as it went to overtime before a winner was decided. New Jersey played ball control all game, racking up 41:26 of possession, but Seattle got enough big plays to keep the pressure on. It began with two quick 3-and-outs as both offenses struggled to find early rhythm after only 1 preseason game each. Seattle would start to put things together on their second drive, and came away with a field goal. New Jersey responded with a drive of their own, relying heavily on the legs of Curtis Enis and James Jackson. The two would combine for 41 carries on the day. After getting inside the 10, Tom Brady faked a handoff to Enis and found Terry Glenn streaking to the corner for the first TD of the day. That score would hold until the very conclusion of the first half, when Seattle again settled for 3, a 37-yard field goal from the 20 after David Boston could not haul in an endzone toss on 3rd and 7. Initially ruled a TD, replay showed that Boston’s right foot was on the white chalk, out of bounds. In the second half, with Seattle getting the ball first, the Dragons got their TD, as Byron Leftwich found TE Jeramy Stevens open in the endzone. Stevens would split time with Ken Dilger at TE and the two would combine for 4 catches and 43 yards on the day. After a 2-point conversion, it was 14-7 Seattle, but New Jersey had more in the tank. The Generals responded to the Seattle score with a scoring drive of their own, marching the ball down the field on 12 plays before Brady caught Glenn in single coverage and made Seattle pay. A 25-yard TD pass was the result and the game was tied at 14. This score would hold through the end of regulation as both defense shut down opposing drives before they could reach field goal range. In overtime it looked like much the same, and many were wondering if the first game of the season would end with a tie, but a key defensive PI call led to New Jersey entering Seattle territory with just over 4 minutes left in the extra period. Tom Brady then hit Patrick Hape with a big 18 yard completion to get into field goal range,and after two ball-placement inside runs by Enis, out came Ryan Longwell, who put the ball between the uprights and gave New Jersey the win on opening night. STARS 16 THUNDER 13 It was a rough start to the USFL season in Las Vegas as high winds not only made gameplay “challenging”, but also forced the Thunder to block off their temporary seating, much to the dismay of fans who had purchased tickets to the game. Refunds were issued, but a lot of folks were not happy. On the field it was a tough day to pass the ball, with both Kurt Warner and Aaron Brooks held under 200 yards as the winds simply made it tough to do anything other than underneath routes. Philadelphia built a 16-0 lead, and while Vegas fought back with two late TD’s, It was too little too late. BLITZ 26 INVADERS 20 OVERTIME A better day weather wise in Oakland, but a tough loss for the Invaders as Ben Roethlisberger found Eddie Kennison for a last minute TD, then a 2-point conversion, to tie the game, only to go on and hit Daniel Graham with a 75-yard TD toss on the first play of overtime to stun an Oakland crowd that had an 8-point Invader lead only moments before. FEDERALS 15 EXPRESS 13 The Federals’ defense came to play, as they held LA to only 208 total yards and sacked Cade McNown 7 times. LA also showed some defensive fortitude, sacking Kordell Stewart 5 times and limiting Deuce McCallister to 65 yards on 23 carries. Still, that was far better than DeShaun Foster’s 25-yard total. CANNONS 21 GAMBLERS 14 Houston was horrible on the ground, gaining only 16 yards to Boston’s 146, but Matt Hasselbeck’s 2-TD, 280-yard day kept them in this one. Antonio Freeman had 10 catches for 142 and a score to help Houston, but Chad Ochocinco’s 2 scores were too much for the homestanding Gamblers. BANDITS 24 GOLD 20 A great game under the lights in Denver as an unusually warm Colorado March day made the Bandits feel right at home. Randy Moss had 106 yards and a TD, as Daunte Culpepper connected on 3 scoring tosses to ruin the home opener for the Gold. Rookie Cedrick Benson struggled to adjust, rushing for only 3 yards on 10 carries before Denver started handing the ball more to Rod “He Hate Me” Smart. BULLS 13 OUTLAWS 9 The dome may have been warm and cozy on a cold rainy day in San Antonio, but the same could not be said for either team’s offenses, both of which looked out of synch and unprepared. The lone TD of the day was from Delhomme to newly acquired WR Donald Hayes, as neither team showed much in this snoozer of a season opener. MACHINE 41 KNIGHTS 10 Chicago rolled and Nashville has to be worried as they could do nothing in this game. The game would have been closer but for two pick sixes, one each from Brian Urlacher and R.W. McQuarters as Todd Collins got careless trying to come back form a 21-3 deficit and only made matters worse. RENEGADES 13 WRANGLERS 24 Jake Plummer threw 3 TD passes as the ‘Gades limited Duce Staley to only 43 yards rushing in his Wrangler debut. Jeff Blake threw 2 picks and no scores as the Renegades struggled to pass the ball. Fifteen penalties between the two clubs made it clear that this was opening week and a few bugs were still being worked out by both teams. PANTHERS 19 BREAKERS 14 The new look LB corps of the Panthers was ready to go, which is more than we can say for the entire Breaker offense, despite Eli Manning going 20 for 32. Manning would throw two TDs, including a beautifully placed ball on a 15-yarder to Bobby Engram, but it was not enough as Michigan scored the final 10 points of the game to take the win. GLORY 23 STALLIONS 9 Jason Campbell’s debut did not go as planned as an early hit knocked him out of the game and likely the next 2-3. Eric Zeier stepped in and, well, it has been a while since Zeier led a team and it showed. Kerry Collins also was knocked out of the game, in his case what appears to be a minor concussion, but Chris Redman was able to keep the Ohio offense rolling and they pulled away late. MAULERS 16 SHOWBOATS 10 It was cold but calm in Memphis, but that did not help the Showboats. Terrell Davis rushed for 74 and rookie Vincent Jackson had 4 catches for 42 yards in his debut as Pittsburgh got the road win. Cadillac Williams averaged only 2.4 yards per carry for Memphis, whose big star for the day was 2nd year receiver Lee Evans with 7 catches for 121 yards, including a 30 yard TD catch on an end of half Hail Mary. Home Field Disadvantage Never let it be said that home field is an overwhelming advantage in football. This opening week of the USFL shows that there may well be no such thing. Twelve games and only 1 home team, the Wranglers, managed to hold court. It is the first time that 11 of 12 games have ever gone to the visitors, but that is what we got. And this was not due to a lack of enthusiasm. Week 1 attendance averaged 38,344 across the entire league, and that included only 30,000 in Las Vegas due to their stadium's limited capacity. It just did not seem to be enough for the home teams to get wins in Week 1. First Impressions With so many new faces across the league, opening weekend took on a special sense of discovery. Whether it is rookies in their first pro action, USFL veterans in new cities, or NFL transfers beginning their first foray into Spring football, there were a lot of players making first impressions. Let’s see how they did. PASSERS: The big arrivals this offseason were on display this week. Kurt Warner got his first win as the new leader of the Philadelphia Stars. His numbers were not great (20 of 30 for 197 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int), but he got the W, which was cause to celebrate for Philly fans. Jason Campbell, the only rookie QB to start this week, had a rougher day, suffering through a rough first half (4 of 18 for 32 yards) before being knocked out of the game with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder that could keep him out for the next game or two. Eli Manning is not new to the Panthers, but this game marked his official ascent to the starting role, after being given the start after the preseason. He went 20 for 32 and threw 2 TD’s but the Breakers still lost the game. RUSHERS: The first game of their pro career is often a rough one for rookie halfbacks, and that was certainly the case this week. Frank Gore had the best debut, rushing for 43 yards, but still, with 19 carries, that is only a 2.3 YPC. Cadillac Williams did not fare any better for Memphis, rushing 15 times for only 36 yards, but both can still be glad they were not Cedric Benson. Ten carries and only 3 yards for the Texas product as Denver struggled to open holes for the big back. Sure, with only 1 preseason game before the start of action, Benson and the other rookies will need time to adjust, so we won’t judge too quickly. Looking briefly at the veterans on new teams, Ahman Green did just as expected for the Stars, rushing for 71 yards on 22 carries. Ricky Williams did not look very rusty in his debut for Coach Green and the Invaders, gaining 58 yards on 14 carries, and Duce Staley got plenty of carries (23) but had issues producing yards (only 23). RECEIVERS: Bobby Engram had the best debut of the transplanted receivers, the former Star was Eli Manning’s favorite target with 5 receptions for 84 yards and a TD. Rookie Mark Clayton had the best debut of the Class of 2005 receivers, catching 6 balls from Tom Brady, and amassing 74 yards in his pro debut. J.J. Stokes was a hit in Denver, catching 5 passesfor 69 yards, while Denver’s new TE, Lonnie Johnson, did even better, with 9 receptions for 63 yards and a TD. Jacksonville turned to former General Donald Hayes for their game-winning TD. Hayes caught 5 passes from Jake Delhomme, for 53 yards and the score. Finally, Robert Ferguson had a decent start, despite issues in Memphis with the offense in general, catching 4 passes for 49 yards. DEFENSE: Rookie Lofa Tatupu made an instant impression on LA fans, garnering 10 tackles for the Express in his first pro game. Kirk Morrison made himself right at home in Memphis with 8 tackles, and Nashville rookie CB started strong with 7 tackles. Among vets with new teams, Kendrell Bell was impressive in his first start for the Gold, with 9 tackles and a sack for the Gold. Kevin Hardy, returning from a very short retirement with the Wranglers, started strong with 7 tackles and a sack in his desert debut. CB Deshea Townsend had a good start in Ohio as well, scoring 8 tackles and just missing on a pass that would have gone for 6 had he been able to haul it in. HEAD COACHES: Five new head coaches in the league this year, Philadelphia’s Jim Harbaugh and Jacksonville’s Brad Childress begin their new jobs with a valuable W, while John Mackovic (TEX), Emmitt Thomas (ORL) and Jerry Glanville (LV) met defeat in the opener, though in every case the games were close, with Texas losing by 4, Las Vegas by 3, and Orlando staying within 7 until the final quarter. Ohio Fans Get a Scare, Birmingham Fans Unhappier With both Kerry Collins and Jason Campbell getting knocked out of the openers this week, the question of QB protection and depth at the position quickly became a major topic of discussion this week. Last year Ohio looked like a solid contender until injury to Collins left them vulnerable to a playoff defeat. For Birmingham the pseudo-retirement of Brett Favre meant they were forced to go a new direction, and that direction was to start rookie Jason Campbell only 2 months after he played his last game for Auburn. The good news for Ohio is that the head shot that sent Collins to the bench in week 1 is not expected to impact his ability to start in Week 2. For Birmingham, the situation is not as rosey. Jason Campbell’s shoulder, while not evincing a fracture, is a significant enough concern that he is definitely out for Week 2, and could miss Week 3 as well. That has most Stallion fans apoplectic, since it has been a while since their starting QB has missed a game. Brett Favre was an ironman, starting every single regular season game for over 12 years, until he was benched for disciplinary reasons last season. That is extremely rare in the USFL or any pro league, and perhaps Stallion fans forgot what it means to rely on your backup, but that is what they will need to do for at least the next week. When Campbell went down, it was Eric Zeier who Coach Franchione called on. The former Crimson Tide head coach has not stated if Zeier will get the start this week after going 10 of 21 for only 98 yards in relief this past week. Of course, with very few reps in practice, we cannot judge Zeier’s capabilities by this one emergency situation, but Franchione will have to decide between the former UGA Bulldog and another longstanding backup, Danny Kanell. Don’t expect an announcement before Sunday’s kickoff against Memphis, as keeping the Showboats in the dark certainly helps Birmingham. While the talk about QB’s going down was popular talk on sports radio and the 24 hour networks, more serious injuries were also part of Week 1’s action. The worst of the results of the week were for New Jersey and Michigan, both of whom lost a starter for up to 3 months. For New Jersey it was wideout Jerome Pathon, who suffered a torn hamstring in a non-contact injury. Michigan will be without CB Deltha O’Neil thanks to a fractured hip which occurred in a brutal collision with his own safety. Others who could miss a game or two, and fortunately those are the only other significant injuries, are Tampa DT Dorsett Davis (knee), Memphis center J. P. Machado (knee), and Arizona tackle Matt Anderle. DE Greg Ellis is listed as doubtful by Boston, as is WR Anquon Boldin in Jacksonville. Sedrick Irvin left the field last Sunday with a dislocated finger but is expected to play this week, as is Texas DE Justin Smith, who had cramping, but should be good to go. Ka-Kaw!! St. Louis’s new pro football team has a name as the USFL and the ownership group in the Gateway City revealed two important aspects of the club’s identity. The team will be known as the St. Louis Skyhawks, a reference to both the city’s aeronautical history, dating back to Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis, and the native red-tailed hawks which are common to the region and hold spiritual significance to several midwestern Native populations. The team’s colors will depart significantly from those of the city’s former USFL team, or from the Rams or Cardinals of the NFL. The new Skyhawks will wear uniforms that combine a deep navy blue with a brighter royal blue, and a metallic silver. The name and colors were revealed on Wednesday at a local press conference that was paired with a contest to select the team’s official logo. The Skyhawks are giving fans the final say in their look by letting them choose from three logo options. The first option resembles an air-force wing command patch, with a depiction of three jets crossing the sky, but also flying through the famous St. Louis Gateway Arch. The entire design is framed within a triangle, which team officials stated represented the three principles they will have at the core of their franchise: effort, preparation, and perseverance. When presented on a helmet, we see the logo on either side, a multiple silver, white and navy stripe on a royal blue shell with navy facemask. The shell and mask option is the same for all three logo options. The second option is considerably different, with a football-shaped shield flanked by two outspread wings. The main features of the logo will be white, silver and navy, and, as depicted on the accompanying helmet mock up, the wings will be the primary feature of the team’s helmet if this logo is chosen. Much like the Phliadelphia Eagles, or the wrap around designs of the New Orleans Breakers, the wings will emerge from the facemask and take over most of the front 2/3 of the helmet on either side. Finally, the third option morphs the symbolism of the fighter squadron with that of the red-tailed hawk, as the Arch & contrail feature of the first option is paired with an aggressive hawk head to form a combined logo. This final option is also predominantly navy, silver and white, though it does have royal blue elements. The helmet mockup features a large version of the logo on either side of the helmet. Fans will be able to join in on the voting both in St. Louis, through the St. Louis Dispatch’s website, and nationally through the league website. Voting will take place through week 5, with results reported leaguewide following the Week 6 slate of games. St. Louis is slated to begin play at The Dome in 2006 and will be filling their roster, along with the new Atlanta Fire, in a December 2005 expansion draft, pulling players from across the 24 current USFL teams. VOTE BY CLICKNG ON THE LINK IN OUR MAIN NAVIGATION BAR AND VISITING THE SKYHAWKS LOGO POLL BEFORE WEEK 6. New Orleans Owner Search Stymied It has been more than a year since New Orleans Breakers’ principal owner, Joseph Canizaro, announced his intention to sell off a significant share of his ownership of the Breakers. While it is understood that secondary owner and league founder David Dixon is expected to purchase about 10% of the team’s interest, moving himself into the position of majority owner, the remaining share of Canizaro’s portion of the team was up for sale. The problem is that Canizaro is having difficulty identifying local investors to sign on for a minority share. This is in some ways not surprising. There are several factors which inhibit interest in the team. The first is the minority share itself. Canizaro is selling off a significant investment in the club, but one which will still place any new owner into the position of a second fiddle to David Dixon, something that may well be deterring some of the more, shall we say self-satisfied candidates from stepping forward. It is rare that you would find an investor who would be willing to pay the price Canizaro is asking, nearly $150 million, and not want significant control of his investment. The second factor which may be hurting Canizaro’s efforts is the 2006 and 2008 expansion already underway in the USFL. The ability to start a franchise from scratch, to develop a new market, and to, again, have greater influence over the direction of the team, is a major draw for multimillionaire investors. With 5 significant investment groups already forming around a cadre of deep pocketed investors, there is a natural depletion of the pool of potential buyers for the Breakers. Finally, Canizaro has been insistent that he wants an investor with strong New Orleans ties, so as to avoid any chance of the Breakers undergoing what we have seen happen in Portland, where an investment group which originally seemed like savior’s for the Rose City’s football franchise, shifted quickly and within 2 years relocated the franchise out of the city. The Breakers have become an establishment, beloved in the Crescent City and Canizaro wants no part of a deal that could jeopardize that relationship between team and city. Essentially he wants there to be no chance that he ends up the villain in the story after having built up so much trust and support in the community. And so, the Breakers continue to seek out investors, continue to beat the bushes to see if the perfect match of funds and foundation in the city can be found to keep the Breakers a profitable venture as well as a foundational element of the New Orleans Sports scene. Week two ushers in one of our favorite weeks in the USFL, a fully divisional week, where a win essentially serves as two wins because it helps the victor and sends a division rival down a notch at the same time. Looking over the schedule, it is hard to say that any of the games are not vital. For 1-0 teams, the chance to go 2-0 is highly prized, while for the 0-1 teams, avoiding an 0-2 hole is equally essential. So, here, simply in the order of their schedule are the 12 important games in the USFL this week. FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (NBC) Denver @ Arizona (9pm ET): The Southwest Showdown is always a great clash, but with both teams again expected to compete for the division title, this one will help determine the shape of the season for the two rivals. SATURDAY AFTERNOON (FOX/ABC) Washington @ Philadelphia (12pm ET): Can Kurt Warner survive a meeting with Washington’s aggressive defense? This is a game that could go a long way to determining which of these two teams will challenge New Jersey in the Northeast. Tampa Bay @ Orlando (12pm ET): An in-state rivalry with the two teams separated by less than 100 miles. Orlando will need all it can muster to defend against the Bandit Ball offense in this one. Michigan @ Chicago (4pm ET): The Heartland Classic as the Panthers visit the Machine in Chicago. Michigan had a strong defensive showing in Week 1, but they now face one of the league’s perennial defensive powerhouses in a game where snow and wind could be a factor. Los Angeles @ Las Vegas (4pm ET): The Thunder are hoping that they can use their full capacity (after a wind-impacted week 1) as the visiting Express always bring a crowd to the desert for this divisional clash. SATURDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (ESPN) New Orleans @ Nashville (9pm ET): A late night honky tonk kind of game between two Southern foes as the Breakers and Knights clash in Music City. Both teams struggled in Week 1, but this game could turn things around for one of them. SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOOTBALL (FOX/ESPN) New Jersey @ Baltimore (12pm ET): The Blitz get their first shot at the league champs in an intriguing duel of different QB styles, the poised patience of Tom Brady vs. the gunslinger style of Ben Roethlisberger. Jacksonville @ Boston(12pm ET): The Cannons try to move to 2-0 with a home game against the division rival Bulls, but Jacksonville can make a statement by moving to 2-0 themselves with a big road win in Beantown. Memphis @ Birmingham (4pm ET): Two teams that may not be at their best right now, but a rivalry that is always entertaining. Seattle @Oakland (4pm ET): Both Seattle and Oakland stumbled out of the gate, and both want to avoid an 0-2 start in a division that does not yet have a win. SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (ESPN) Pittsburgh @ Ohio: The toughest division in the league is the star of SNF as the Maulers and Glory both come into this one at 1-0. Can the Mauler D find a way to slow down the Glory and that high flying O?

We have reviewed the 2005 USFL Draft and signing successes and failures, looked at the late free agent acquisitions, the camp trades, and the NFL-USFL transfers; now it is time to look at the teams and where they stand. Who reinvented themselves? Who got better? Who may have slipped a bit. We ranked all 24 USFL clubs in our Preseason Power Poll, from 1 to 24, looked at who has left, who is new in town, and who could be ready to break out in 2005. Is your team ready to make a move? Here is the info you need to either confidently book tickets to Summer Bowl 2005 in Houston or to pray we are way off. 2005 USFL PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS 1) Arizona Wranglers 2004 RECAP: 10-4, Western Conference Champions DEPARTURES: HB S. Davis (RET), LB W. Tubbs (RET), HB C. Taylor (NFL), LB S. Tovar (NFL), SS J. Cherry (FA), TE O. Santiago (FA), HB E. Graham (Trade), DE E. Freeman (Trade) NEW ARRIVALS: LB K. Hardy (FA), HB D. Staley (FA), WR R. Soward (FA), LB A. Jordan (FA), DT J. Ferguson (NFL), HB L. Johnson (Trade), G T. Johnson (Trade) IMPACT ROOKIES: TE Kevin Everett (Miami), QB Andrew Walter (Az State), LB Boomer Grigsby (Il State), S Matt Giordano (Cal) BREAK OUT STAR: We put Larry Fitzgerald on the cover of the magazine, so pretty much we think he is about to blow up. Fitzgerald had a stellar rookie year, and we expect only better things from the long and lean receiver in 2005. He may be considered the #2 receiver behind Santana Moss, but this could be a situation where the Wranglers have two #1s. OUTLOOK: Arizona came within a field goal of landing their first league title last season, and we think that they only got better this year. Yes, Stephen Davis is gone after having finally revived the run game, but the additions of Duce Staley and Larry Johnson look to carry on what Davis started. The outstanding Wrangler D may have gotten even tougher with the “unretirement” of Kevin Hardy and the additions of Anthony Jordan and NFL DT Jason Ferguson. This team is capable of being Top 5 in both offense and defense, and perhaps in 2005 Jake Plummer will finally be able to lift high the John Bassett Trophy. 2. Tampa Bay Bandits 2004 RECAP: 12-2, Southeastern Division Champions, Lost in Eastern Finals DEPARTURES: SS L. Butler (RET), QB K. Graham (NFL), DT P. Riley (FA), OT A. Johnson (FA), TE B. Banta (FA), HB T. Vinson (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: QB R. Mirer (FA), SS. K. Kennedy (NFL) IMPACT ROOKIES: S Antrel Rolle (Miami), WR Roscoe Parrish (Miami), OT Ray Willis (FSU), DT Jay Ratliff (Auburn) BREAK OUT STAR: DT Sean Gilbert has toiled in relative anonymity in a Tampa Bay defense that generally does not get a lot of press, but players around the league see him as one of the best pivot defenders in the USFL. He may not rack up big sack numbers (DTs rarely do), and the press is still likely to focus a lot on Steve Spurrier and the Bandit Ball offense, but Gilbert, going into his 14th season in the league, deserves to have a season where we focus on the way he impacts games. OUTLOOK: Tampa Bay came out of nowhere (4-10 in 2003) to become a phoenix, with one of the top offenses in the league and a decent D to boot. The arrival of Daunte Culpepper from the NFL, and the return of the Ole’ Ball Coach were a match made in heaven. At 12-2 and playing at home they were the clear favorite to represent the East in Summer Bowl 2005, but the sneaky Generals pulled the upset and knocked the Bandits out. We expect Tampa Bay to be hungrier than ever in 2005, and they have the talent to rip through the league and claim a title if they can avoid injuries to key players and keep focused on the prize. 3. Boston Cannons 2004 RECAP: 10-4, Wild Card, Lost in Divisionals to Tampa Bay DEPARTURES: FB R. Anderson (RET), TE C. Gedney (RET), G. E. Mahlum (RET), SS A. Wilson (NFL), HB V. Hayes (NFL), WR R. Ferguson (FA), QB J. Miller (FA), DT A. McFarland (Trade), DE T. Warren (Trade), CB A. Rossum (Trade) NEW ARRIVALS: WR F. Scott (FA), G E. Mulitalo (Trade) IMPACT ROOKIES: FB Justin Green (Montana), HB Marion Barber (Minn), WR Lance Moore (Toledo), CB Brandon Browner (OR State), QB Adrian McPherson (FSU) BREAK OUT STAR: TE James Whalen. With Robert Ferguson gone to Memphis in free agency, Drew Bledsoe is going to need secondary targets for those rare occasions when he cannot get the ball to Chad Ochocinco. That 2nd option could be free agent Freddie Scott, or returning possession guys like Jerricho Cotchery or Joe Jurevicious, but we think it is going to be Whalen, who had 75 targets and 50 receptions in 2004 when Boston’s offense first made the league take notice. Expect those numbers to go even higher in 2005. OUTLOOK: The Cannons will admit that their defense may have taken a step back with the departures of McFarland, Ty Warren and Wilson, and with serious cap room issues they just could not be big players in free agency, but it was not defense that got them to their first playoff run in team history. This team will be defined by the offense led by Drew Bledsoe, HB Tiki Barber, and WR Chad Ochocinco. That trifecta is one of the best in the league and could propel the Cannons far into the playoffs. Their biggest issue is that they have Tampa Bay, with an equally powerful attack, in their own division, and if their defense struggles, the Bandits could once again outpace them to the #1 seed in the East. 4. New Jersey Generals 2004 RECAP: 11-3, Eastern Division Champoins. League Champions. DEPARTURES: DE P. Hansen (RET), CB/S J. Sehorn (RET), DE R. Nicks (RET), G M. O’Dwyer (NFL), WR D. Hayes (FA), QB T. Boumann (FA), LB K. Bell (Trade), DT T. Harris (Trade) NEW ARRIVALS: OG T. Reyes (FA), QB K. Holcombe (NFL) IMPACT ROOKIES: OG Nick Kaczur (Toledo), S O.J. Atogwe (Stanford), DE Dan Cody (OU), WR Mark Clayton (OU), OT Jeremy Parquet (So Miss) BREAK OUT STAR: LB Donterrious Thomas. After a strong rookie season that saw DT start 10 games and make 41 tackles, 15 for a loss, the outside linebacker is expected to grow even more in 2005 and with so many defensive starters gone from the 2004 club, the Generals will need him to take on a bigger role and be even more of a force in run defense, and possibly in the pass rush as well. OUTLOOK: Being placed 4th in the power rankings may feel like a diss to General fans, but this team, as many champions do, has taken a huge offseason hit. You don’t lose the greatest sack master in USFL history and just brush that off. Phil Hansen’s free agency and then retirement will impact the Generals, as will the departures due to cap-relieving trades, of Bell and Harris from a defense that largely carried the Generals in 2005. They will need more from their offense in 2005 if they want any hope of repeating as champions, because the D is likely taking a step back as they retool. 5. Ohio Glory 2004 RECAP: 10-4, Central Division Champions, Lost in Wild Card Round DEPARTURES: WR T. Davis (RET), C T. McClure (NFL), WR M. Floyd (NFL), DE C. Harden (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: C. J. Pyne (FA), CB D. Townsend (FA), TE I. Mili (FA) IMPACT ROOKIES: C Richie Incognito (Neb), OT J. Brown (OU), WR Chad Owens (Hawaii) BREAK OUT STAR: WR Reche Caldwell. It may seem odd to say that a player will break out in his 5th year, but that could well be the situation for Reche Caldwell in Ohio. The truth is that someone has to step into the big shoes vacated by Chad Ochocinco, and Caldwell is best positioned to do that. He showed some signs last year before the injury to Kerry Collins slowed things down, but if he does not make a leap up and claim the WR2 spot this season, it could easily go to Justin Gage, or we could even see rookie Chad Owens get a shot. OUTLOOK: The Ohio offense is still a major player in the USFL, and if their defense improves at all with the arrival of DeShea Townsend, they could once again be perched atop the Central Division and potentially the conference. The gap has certainly closed between Ohio and the other contenders in the East, but the Glory are still very much a team to be reckoned with. 6. Seattle Dragons 2004 RECAP: 9-5, Pacific Division Champions, Lost in Western Finals. DEPARTURES: QB J. Garcia (RET), DT K. Pritchett (RET), HB B. Mitchell (NFL), LB B. Minter (NFL), HB J. Henley (FA), DE L. Bromell (FA), LB W. Middlebrooks (Trade), G E. Mulitalo (Trade), T J. Backus (Trade) NEW ARRIVALS: CB A. Rossum (Trade) IMPACT ROOKIES: WR Reggie Brown (UGA), S Nick Collins (Beth-Cook), WR Rashied Davies (SJSU), K Dave Rayner (Mich State), HB Darren Sproles (K State) BREAK OUT STAR: HB Darren Sproles. We may be making too much of Sproles’s skills as a return man and 3rd down back, but his film is electric. He could be an instant upgrade over Brian Mitchell and Mitchell was a very good player. Do not go to the bathroom or fridge when Seattle’s opponents are punting or kicking off. It could be very worth your while. OUTLOOK: The Dragons feel like they lost a few good players, in part because they did. Cap limits hit them hard, so they made some trades and lost some talent, but this is still a very talented team and one that feels like it is just beginning to catch fire. Watch them out of the gate to see if they are ready to take this to the next level. 7. Denver Gold 2004 RECAP: 8-6, Wild Card, Lost in Wild Card Round DEPARTURES: CB C. Holmes (RET), HB R. Holcombe (RET), TE M. Battaglia (RET), T B. Brockermeyer (RET), DT. M. Bouette (RET), SS S. Lumpkin (NFL), TE D. LaFleur (NFL), LB C. Cowart (FA), CB R. Bauman (FA), G J. Goodwin (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: C M. Flanagan (FA), TE L. Johnson (FA), WR J. Stokes (FA), CB R. Crockett (FA), SS K. Kennedy (NFL), LB D. Spragan (NFL), LB K. Bell (Trade), DT T. Harris (Trade) IMPACT ROOKIES: HB Cedric Benson (Texas), TE Tony Jackson (Iowa), G Elton Brown (Uva), QB Derek Anderson (Oregon St), CB Reynaldo Hill (Florida), LB Barrett Rudd (Neb) BREAK OUT STAR: DT Tommy Harris. One of a wave of new members to the Gold roster, Harris is poised to have a huge year in Dick Jauron’s system. With solid DE’s on the outside, Harris’s disruptive style could make him as dangerous as any edge rusher. OUTLOOK: The Gold lost more players, and brought more in than any other team. They broke tendencies and actually spent some money on players like J.J. Stokes, Lonnie Johnson, and Kenoy Kennedy, then they made a big deal to bring in two members of the Generals’ defense when New Jersey had a fire sale. The end results could be very good for Denver, but it may also take time for this team to find itself. 8. Chicago Machine 2004 RECAP: 9-5, Wild Card, Lost in Wild Card Round DEPARTURES: P N. Louis (RET), HB C. Rogers (RET), T M. Spears (RET), CB J. Hitchcock (NFL), C J. Pyne (FA), CB J. Trapp (FA), DT D. Walker (FA), HB D. Staley (FA), SS C. Wire (Trade), TE B. Hartsook (Trade) NEW ARRIVALS: HB B. Westbrook (FA), TE M. Ricks (Trade), SS G. Earl (Trade), HB A. Thomas (NFL) IMPACT ROOKIES: CB Marlin Jackson (Mich), G Chris Kemoeatu (Utah), HB Maurice Clarett (Ohio St), QB Kyle Orton (Purdue) BREAK OUT STAR: HB Michael Turner. Turner usurped Duce Staley last year, rushing for 759 yards and 6 TDs in his rookie campaign. Chicago expects even more out of him this year, likely shooting for his first 1,000 yard season. Turner will have Maurice Clarett and 3rd down back Bryan Westbrook stealing some carries, but he could become a three down back if he has early success. OUTLOOK: Chicago lost a few pieces, but they had a strong draft and did not lose anyone who we would consider essential to their overall plan for growth. They should be there with Ohio, challenging for the division title, and they even think they may have found the successor to Jeff George, Purdue’s Kyle Orton, who will learn from George and hopefully grow into a starting job. 9. Washington Federals 2004 RECAP: 7-7, 2nd in East DEPARTURES: DT R. Rogers (RET), QB S. Zolack (RET), DE T. Brackens (RET), LB B. Hamilton (RET), TE J. Asher (RET), T K. Farris (NFL), LB A. Wilson (FA), WR B. Shaw (FA), G T. Reyes (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: CB R. Bauman (FA), DT A. McFarland (Trade), HB E. Graham (Trade), LB I. Reese (NFL) IMPACT ROOKIES: DE Erasmus James (Wisc), WR Courtney Roby (Indiana), TE Heath Miller (Uva), LB Cameron Wake (Penn St) BREAK OUT STAR: DE Erasmus James. Another rookie who we expect to make an immediate impact in the USFL. Lined up opposite Greg Spires, and likely next to Anthony McFarland, James will see a lot of single teams and the Feds are hoping he can beat them and become a force for the Federals’ pass rush. OUTLOOK: The Federals feel like a team that may have peaked. They are getting older, but they still have good talent at some key positions, including WR Deion Branch, HB Duce McCallister, LB Michael Barrow and CB Charles Woodson. How much longer their window stays open may depend a lot on whether New Jersey and Philadelphia keep putting pressure on the division. 10. Los Angeles Express 2004 RECAP: 6-8, 2nd in Pacific. DEPARTURES: LB J. Goode (NFL), LB J. Holocek (NFL), DT N. Hand (FA), FB S. Bryson (FA), CB R. Crockett (FA), C J. Machado (FA), WR R. Soward (FA), QB R. Johnson (FA), HB M. Smith (Trade) NEW ARRIVALS: LB A. Ayodele (FA), QB M. Tuiasosopo (FA), HB W. Oliver (FA), LB E. Hill (FA), C C. Raymer (Trade) IMPACT ROOKIES: CB Carlos Rogers (Auburn), WR Tab Perry (UCLA), LB Lofa Tatupu (USC), OT Erik Pears (Colo St). BREAK OUT STAR: DE Keneche Udeze. Not that a rookie year with 8 sacks was a quiet start to his career, but there is a lot of expectation that it was just the beginning and that Udeze can become a real force for the LA defense. The loss of DT Norman Hand may make life a bit tougher for Udeze, but Daryl Gardner and Larry Triplett are still there to help shed some blocks from the speedy edge rusher. OUTLOOK: LA has been a tough team to figure out for several years. It seems that they alternate hot and cold years. 6 wins in 2004, but 10 in 2003, 5 in 2002, but 13 in 2001. If that trend continues, the Express are due for a double digit win total this year. Not impossible, especially if Oakland and Portland continue to provide 4 free wins each season. 11. Philadelphia Stars 2004 RECAP: 5-9, 4th in Atlantic DEPARTURES: K J. Jaeger (RET), LB S. Rogers (NFL), QB B. Griese (FA), WR B. Engram (FA), WR A. Van Dyke (FA), DE C. Scott (FA), OT M. Cheever (Trade) NEW ARRIVALS: QB K. Warner (NFL), WR C. Lee (NFL), HB A. Green (FA), SS R. Tongue (FA), LB Z. Thomas (FA) IMPACT ROOKIES: WR Roddy White (UAB), K Mike Nugent (Ohio St), WR Rasheed Wallace (WV), DT Jonathan Babineaux (Iowa) BREAK OUT STAR: CB Quentin Jammer. It would be too easy to say Kurt Warner, but he is an established All-Pro headed to a new team. Jammer, in his 3rd season, could be poised to become one of the league’s premier corners. He has 5 picks in his first 2 seasons, and we fully expect he will reach or surpass that total in year 3 as he moves into the full time #1 slot. OUTLOOK: No team did more with their cap space than the Stars. New Head Coach Jim Harbaugh went to work, landing big fish in HB Ahman Green and QB Kurt Warner, but also filling gaps with players like Zach Thomas, Charles Lee, and Reggie Tongue. Philly also had a pretty solid draftee signing period, with both Roddy White and Rasheed Wallace now in the receiving corps with Toomer and Steve Smith. Folks are high on the Stars, and we are among them. They should challenge arch-rival new Jersey for supremacy in the East this year, assuming, of course, that Kurt Warner leaves the failures as a NY Giant behind and recaptures his magic from the St. Louis Ram years. 12. Pittsburgh Maulers 2004 RECAP: 10-4, 2nd in Central, Lost in Wild Card Round DEPARTURES: WR A. Rison (NFL), DE B. Kuberski (FA), G P. Zakauskas (FA), LB A. Ayodele (FA), HB W. Oliver (FA), SS C. jones (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: DE C. Harden (FA), LB D. Spragan (NFL), WR T. Taylor (NFL) IMPACT ROOKIES: WR Mike Williams (USC), WR Vincent Jackson (No Colorado), S Gerald Sensabaugh (UNC), HB Brandon Jacobs (S. Illinois), FB John Kuhn (Shppensburg) BREAK OUT STAR: SS Sean Taylor. A highly touted draft pick last year, Taylor had something of a quiet rookie season, with no sacks, no picks, but with 66 tackles. The Maulers are hoping that in 2005 Taylor starts to move from making tackles to making big, game changing plays. The talent is there and the opportunity is waiting. OUTLOOK: Pittsburgh at times feels like a Top 8 club, and at others they feel like a bottom 8 club, so them landing at the exact middle of the league seems fair. They need one of their rookie receivers to make an immediate impact after losing Andre Rison to the NFL. Vincent Jackson is listed as a starter for Week 1, but Williams will also have plenty of opportunities to see the field. The defense, and star LB DeMetrius DuBose remain the heart and soul of the club, them and HB Terrell Davis, and this is a club that could challenge in the Central, but landing at 3rd place is also a very real possibility. 13. Houston Gamblers 2004 RECAP: 7-7, 3rd in Southwest, Lost in Divisional Round DEPARTURES: CB V. Buck (RET), G J. Patton (RET), QB D. Flutie (RET), SS C. Carter (NFL), HB J. Scobey (NFL), HB K. Faulk (FA), G M. Lehr (FA), DT C. Eaton (FA), DT L. Renfro (Trade) NEW ARRIVALS: DE O. Umenyiura (Trade), SS J. Cherry (FA), OT A. Johnson (FA), TE B. Banta (FA), HB A. Thomas (NFL) IMPACT ROOKIES: LB Kevin Burnett (Tenn), DE David McMillan (Kansas), DT C. J. Mosley (Mizzou), OG Dylan Gandy (Texas Tech) BREAK OUT STAR: DE Osi Umenyiura. After 2 seasons of somewhat mixed results in Nashville, Umenyiura comes to a defense built on speed and aggression, two traits he definitely brings to the edge position. With Kavika Pittman opposite him, Umenyiura is not being asked to be the top sack master on the team, but he takes over for Michael Sinclair, and could easily recreate the 1-2 punch that Sinclair had with Pittman, which means 10+ sacks is not out of the question. OUTLOOK: Last year Houston limped through the season with Matt Hasselbeck out, but they made it to the postseason and won a playoff game thanks to their defense. If Hasselbeck can stay healthy, this team could be pretty solid. Losing Kevin Faulk was not great, but the rotation of Mike Anderson, Tatum Bell, and NFL castoff Anthony Thomas, while not great as receivers, could be solid, providing Hasselbeck with the balance he needs to find success. Freeman, Williams, and Robinson are a solid trio of receivers. With a healthy and focused Hasselbeck, the offense may just be ready to pull their weight for a change. 14. Nashville Knights 2004 RECAP: 8-6, First in the South, Lost in Wild Card Round DEPARTURES: LB K. Hardy (RET/FA), CB O. Smith (RET), DE C. Bradtske (NFL), LB G. Favors (NFL), HB A. Green (FA), CB S. Israel (FA), G B. Williams (FA), CB B. Austin (FA), DE O. Umenyiura (Trade), OT A. Meadows (Trade) NEW ARRIVALS: OT W. Gandy (Trade), CB W. Middlebrooks (Trade), DT L. Renfro (Trade), LB C. Cowart (FA), WR A. Van Dyke (FA) IMPACT ROOKIES: CB Fabian Washington (Neb), HB Frank Gore (Miami), HB Cedric Houston (Tenn) BREAK OUT STAR: HB Frank Gore. It has to be the rookie HB, right? With Ahman Green gone to Philly, the Knights were desperate to land a potential lead back. They settled on Gore and spent the money to sign him out from under the NFL. If he does not come through, that spells disaster for an offense that simply cannot play a pass-first style. OUTLOOK: The Knights defense will still be tough, but they had some losses there. Rookie Fabian Washington and free agent Willie Middlebrooks will likely play more in the secondary than new acquisitions usually do, and DT Leonard Renfro is going to make an immediate impact, but we are not so sure this will be enough. They need to show they can have a balanced offense, and the talent on that side of the ball feels like it is falling behind a lot of the competition. The thing is, despite these concerns, Nashville is still our pick to win a very weak Southern Division, ahead of a fading Breaker club and rebuilding Showboat and Stallion clubs. 15. New Orleans Breakers 2004 RECAP: 7-7, 2nd in South, Lost in Divisional Round DEPARTURES: DE C. Simmons (RET), LB L. Lathon (RET), CB L. Berry (RET), CB C. Barlow (RET), DE C. Ahonotu (RET), G C. Maumalanga (RET), DE M. McCrary (NFL), C Chukki Okobi (NFL), QB J. Palmer (NFL), HB R. Williams (FA), FS Myers (FA), LB D. Rodgers (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: DE T. Warren (Trade), QB S. Wynn (Trade), DT P. Riley (FA), G P. Zakauskas (FA), WR B. Engram (FA), DE C. Sears (FA) IMPACT ROOKIES: C Chris Spencer (Ole Miss), LB Leroy Hill (Clemson), DE Marcus Spears (LSU), LB Robert McCune (Lousiville) BREAK OUT STAR: QB Eli Manning. Every indication is that Coach Nolan is ready to start the 2nd year QB, and that is huge in the Crescent City. Trent Dilfer was solid all year long, but when Eli came in, there was an energy to his performances, almost as if the city itself were willing him to succeed. He had better because there is not a real plan B for the Breakers. The defense is a work in progress, and the run game will likely be an issue as well. OUTLOOK: Last year’s suspension of Ricky Williams is now a permanent departure, and that means the Breakers are still cobbling together a run game with Troy Davis, Olandis Gary, and Troy Hambrick. That is not a good base for Manning to build on. Then you also lose your top 3 edge rushers to a combination of retirement and free agency. Also not a good sign. We see hard times ahead for the Breakers unless Eli truly does have magic about him. 16. Oakland Invaders 2004 RECAP: 4-10, 3rd in Pacific DEPARTURES: HB M. Strong (RET), HB R. Salaam (RET), WR K. Bailey (NFL), FS J. Woods (FA), TE C. Fauria (FA), QB M. Tuiasosopo (FA), LB S. Fujita (FA), OT L. Walker (Trade), WR D. Stallworth (Trade) NEW ARRIVALS: QB J. Harrington (Trade), HB R. Williams (FA), OT M. Light (FA), WR B. Shaw (FA), CB B. Austin (FA), QB R. Johnson (FA) IMPACT ROOKIES: TE Joel Dreesen (Colo St), S Marviel Underwood (SDSU), OG Logan Mankins (Fresno) BREAK OUT STAR: WR Taylor Jacobs. If Trent Green is going to have success and stave off the rise of Joey Harrington, he is going to need someone other than Plaxico Burress to catch passes. Jacobs could be the beneficiary of Christian Fauria’s departure. While Coach Green may rotate others like Marty Booker or Bobby Shaw in, Jacobs has the inside track to get more targets. Of course, whether that helps with wins depends on two other big factors, can Oakland count on Ricky Williams to provide a run game? And can the defense finally come together and show some discipline? OUTLOOK: There is enough talent on this Invader team to make a push to finish above .500 for the first time since 1998. Can Dennis Green get this club to stop making costly mistakes, cut down on penalties and turnovers, and believe in themselves? That could be all that stands between them and an 8 or 9 win season. 17. Jacksonville Bulls 2004 RECAP: 6-7-1, 3rd in Southeast. DEPARTURES: G M. Verstegen (RET), FB E. Bennett (RET), FS J. King (RET), LB A. Aldridge (FA), FS P. Lenon (FA), TE H. Bishop (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: OT M. Cheever (Trade), FS J. Woods (FA), WR D. Hayes (FA), TE R. Williams (FA) IMPACT ROOKIES: FB Madison Hedgecock (UNC), DT Keyonta Marshall (Grand Valley), OG Adam Snyder (Oregon), OG Joe Berger (Mich Tech) BREAK OUT STAR: WR Rashaun Woods. Jacksonville seemed to show a lack of faith in Woods, spending a good part of the offseason trying to bring in a true #2 to pair with Anquon Boldin. They had no luck, and now they are touting Woods at their #2 but we are not so sure. They traded for Donald Hayes from New Jersey, and Javon Walker is still there too, but it is Woods position to lose, and he needs to break out or he could be in deep water. OUTLOOK: The Bulls look and feel like a team that has no clear direction. They don’t run the ball particularly well, and their passing game is in disarray. The defense can keep them close most of the time, but it rarely wins games for them. We don’t see much in this offseason to make us think that this is anything but a slow rebuilding process for Jacksonville. 18. Baltimore Blitz 2004 RECAP: 6-8, 3rd in Northeast DEPARTURES: WR R. Moore (RET), P P. O’Neill (RET), T Blake Brockmeier (RET), TE J. Riemersma (RET), WR J.J. Stokes (FA), WR B. Schroeder (FA), OT W. Gandy (Trade), QB. Spergon Wynn (Trade) NEW ARRIVALS: OT A. Meadows (Trade), HB K. Faulk (FA), WR E. Kennison (FA) IMPACT ROOKIES: DE Atiyyah Ellison (Mizzou), WR Craphonso Thorpe (FSU), TE Billy Bajema (OK State), OG Chris Myers (Miami), CB E. Green (Va Tech) BREAK OUT STAR: SS Adam Archuleta. If Baltimore is going to improve, it has to start with the defense, which has been atrocious for the past few years. Archuleta is a captain on that squad, and is the most talented defender on the team. Now he needs to be more, he needs to inspire a team to play better as a squad, to stick to their assignments, and to play with focus. OUTLOOK: Baltimore just cannot get over the hump. Just as they look like they might compete for 2nd place, the Stars spend them out of the building and come into the season with a stronger roster. The Blitz are looking like once again they will struggle to reach .500, despite a talented 2nd year QB in Ben Roethlisberger. But, and this is huge, when your three best receiving options are Darnerien McCants, Eddie Kennison, and rookie Craphonso Thorpe, you are just not giving your QB anything to work with. 19. Texas Outlaws 2004 RECAP: 2-12, 4th in Southwest DEPARTURES: QB B. Tolliver (RET), DE T. Hill (RET), LB S. Boyd (RET), FS M. Prior (NFL), LB M. Stonebreaker (NFL), HB B. Westbrook (FA), TE R. Williams (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: DE J. Smith (Trade), FS T. Tillman (Trade), DE B. Kuberski (FA), HB M. Schipp (FA), QB T. Boumann (FA), WR C. Russell (FA) IMPACT ROOKIES: DT Luis Castillo (NWestern), LB Derrick Johnson (Texas), S Sean Considine (Iowa), QB Dan Orlovsky (UConn), TE Bo Scaife (Texas) BREAK OUT STAR: FS Travares Tillman. Yes, the 7 year vet has had good years before, including a 7-pick season in 2001, but he has also been up and down between starting and being a swing safety backup in LA. Now, in Texas, he is the clear #1 free safety and will likely be a pivotal member of the secondary for Coach Mackovic. OUTLOOK: Amazing what a new coach and some good offseason moves can do for the impression of a club. Texas, with only 2 wins, was the worst team in the USFL last season, but this year they start the year ahead of 5 other clubs in our power ranking simply due to the perception that they have addressed some areas. Their big whiff this offseason was their attempt to bring in a rookie to usurp Jeff Lewis as the starting QB. The failed attempt at signing Aaron Rodgers was a huge distraction for a club that otherwise improved their roster. Is it improved enough? The defense should certainly be better with Kuberski, Smith, and rookie Castillo added to the line and Tillman and Considine added to the secondary. The offense remains a question mark. Will the challenge to his role motivate Jeff Lewis or cause him to crumble? 20. Memphis Showboats 2004 RECAP: 4-10, 4th in South DEPARTURES: CB D. Gordon (RET), HB A. Stecker (RET), HB D. Levins (RET), LB J. Schwantz (RET), HB T. Carter (NFL), WR T. Wynans (NFL), SS R. Tongue (FA), DT H. Green (FA), QB G. Torretta (FA) C C. Raymer (Trade) TE M. Ricks (Trade), SS G. Earl (Trade) NEW ARRIVALS: TE B. Hartsook (Trade), SS C. Wire (Trade), HB M. Smith (Trade), QB M. McMahon (NFL), WR R. Ferguson (FA), DT L. Bender (FA), C J. Machado (FA), LB J. Rutledge (FA), LB D. Rodgers (FA) IMPACT ROOKIES: HB Cadillac Williams (Auburn), LB Kirk Morrison (SDSU), OT Dave Stewart (Miss St), HB Lionel Gates (Louisville) BREAK OUT STAR: HB Cadillac Williams. The Showboats are putting a lot of trust in Williams to be a centerpiece of their offense. They traded for Maurice Smith and have another rookie in Lionel James as their two backups, and both should see some snaps, but we expect Williams to get the lion’s share of carries for a Memphis offense that needs to rediscover itself. OUTLOOK: Coach Mora seems to have survived on name alone, because the play of the 2004 Showboats squad certainly did not merit retention. That means that he needs to demonstrate major changes this year if he wants to avoid the ax. The key to that may be a revamped defense, complete with essentially an entirely new LB corps of free agents Rutledge and Rodgers and rookie Kirk Morrison. The other big question in Memphis is if QB Heath Shuler has fallen off a cliff. The former MVP looked pedestrian, and on occasion, outright bad, under center last year. Adding Robert Ferguson to the receiving corps may not be enough to resurrect his career. 21. Michigan Panthers 2004 RECAP: 4-10, 4th in Central DEPARTURES: DE A. Abrahams (RET), P. J. Schafer (RET), LB G. Biekert (NFL), FB Z. Crockett (NFL), LB T. Johnson (FA), QB R. Mirer (FA), G T. Johnson (Trade), HB A. Detson (Trade), T R. Verba (Trade) NEW ARRIVALS: DE E. Freeman (Trade), TE M. Rivers (NFL), QB B. Griese (FA), LB S. Fujita (FA) IMPACT ROOKIES: LB DeMarcus Ware (Troy), LB Shawne Merriman (Maryland), LB Odell Thurman (UGA), P Dustin Colquitt (Tenn), S Jim Leonhard (Wisc) BREAK OUT STAR: LB DeMarcus Ware. Michigan shocked everyone by taking back to back LBs with two picks in the Top 10 of the draft. Ware was the top prospect at the position, but Shawne Merriman could also be huge for this defense. We are picking Ware as the breakout player because we expect Coach LeBeau to use him in blitz situations to improve a pretty shaky pass rush. We would not be shocked to the see the athletic and aggressive rookie lead all linebackers in sacks this year. OUTLOOK: Michigan will need time to gel as a team, but this is a defense that should be much faster, more aggressive, and more diverse in its schemes. It won’t likely show at first, but we think they could be one of the better units by season’s end. Now, the offense, that could still be an issue. We like Drew Brees at QB, but we are just not sure that there is enough here, particularly in a run game that was awful last year and did not sign a major contributor in the offseason. We thought the Panthers would be going after Ahman Green, but they did not even sniff around to see what Green would want to come to Detroit. Unless 2nd year back Chris Perry shows significant imrprovement in year two, we are just not sure the run game is a credible threat, and that puts way too much pressure on Brees. 22. Birmingham Stallions 2004 RECAP: 4-10, 3rd in South DEPARTURES: QB B. Favre (RET/NFL), T R. Webb (RET), CB T. James (RET), LB D. Jones (NFL), C M. Flanagan (FA), TE F. Baxter (FA), FB P. Williams (FA), TE I. Mili (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: T J. Backus (Trade), P K. Richardson (NFL), LB T. Johnson (FA), CB J. Trapp (FA), FB S. Bryson (FA), TE O. Santiago (FA), DE G. Wistrom (FA), G M. Lehr (FA), WR E. Baker (FA) IMPACT ROOKIES: QB Jason Campbell (Auburn), DT Justin Tuck (NDame), CB Corey Webster (LSU), TE Patrick Estes (Uva) BREAK OUT STAR: QB Jason Campbell. The rookie steps into an awkward situation. The clear starter from day 1, Campbell is being asked to replace Brett Favre, whose retirement “scam” as folks in Alabama see it, got him off the team and into the NFL. Coach Franchione shuffled a lot of personnel this offseason, but no position will see more pressure than Campbell to have immediate success. OUTLOOK: A lot of new faces in Birmingham, and a lot of questions as well. The Stallion defense will benefit from the veteran leadership of free agented Johnson and CB James Trapp. We also like the two rookies on defense, Tuck and Webster, but we are not convinced it is enough, and with an offense that is likely to have some major growing pains, the defense will be called on to do a lot, perhaps more than they can realistically expect to accomplish. 23. Orlando Renegades 2004 RECAP: 4-9-1, 4th in Southeast DEPARTURES: TE T. Davis (NFL), DE C. Sears (FA), WR R. Anthony (FA), HB S. Stith (FA), QB J. Harrington (Trade) NEW ARRIVALS: OT L. Walker (Trade), WR D. Stallworth (Trade), WR E. Berlin (NFL), OT J. Jennings (NFL), LB A. Wilson (FA), G B. Williams (FA), TE F. Baxter (FA) IMPACT ROOKIES: DE Chauncey Davis (FSU), CB Justin Miller (Clemson), LB Channing Crowder (Florid), QB Matt Cassel (USC) BREAK OUT STAR: QB Jeff Blake and WR Michael Jenkins. If Orlando has any success this season it will be because Blake exceeds expectations and Jenkins breaks out in his second year in the league. Orlando drafted but could not sign Utah’s Alex Smith, and they apparently lost out to Philadelphia in an attempt to sign Kurt Warner, so Blake cannot be feeling too good about how Coach Thomas sees him, but with only Koy Detmer and rookie Matt Cassel behind him, the job is his. Jenkins showed some spark in 2004, with a solid 53 receptions for 518 yards and 4 TDs. He will want to see those numbers go up if Orlando wants to compete in a very tough division. OUTLOOK: When compared to Boston, Tampa Bay, and even Jacksonville, the Renegades do not come out looking like a team that will finish anywhere but last. We feel badly for Coach Thomas, who takes over after the retirement of George O’Reilly. His position feels very much like an interim, which means he could be a 1-and-done coach if he cannot show marked improvement this year. The Orlando offseason did not produce any headline signings, though we like the acquisition of Langston Walker, one of three new starting linemen, along with NFL import Jonas Jennings and free agent guard Bobby Williams. But, despite the revamped line, an offense guided by Blake, with Sedrick Irvin as their main weapon, is not exactly the second coming of the 2002 Ohio Glory. 24. Las Vegas Thunder 2004 RECAP: 4-10, 4th in Pacific DEPARTURES: LB L. Bush (RET), WR P. Rowe (RET), QB J. Stark (RET), G S. Connover (RET), TE l. Johnson (FA), DT L. Bender (FA), CB D. Townsend (FA), WR F. Scott (FA), QB A. Smith (FA/CFL), WR C. Mayfield (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: CB K. Wright (NFL), DT N. Hand (FA), CB S. Israel (FA), TE C. Fauria (FA), WR K. Hill (FA) IMPACT ROOKIES: WR Troy Williamson (So Car), G Will Svitek (Stanford), LB Brady Poppinga (BYU), QB Brock Berlin (Miami) BREAK OUT STAR: Head Coach Jerry Glanville. Let’s face it, if Las Vegas does anything but finish last this year it is because Coach Glanville has channeled some magic. The former Bandit coach will be entertaining, and his defense will be aggressive, but we are just not seeing enough talent on this roster this year to be much of a threat, so if the Thunder surprise us, it is Glanville who will get all the press on this, which we are sure he would be fine with. OUTLOOK: The Thunder look like a team without any direction, particularly in the front office. They lost Akili Smith, which seemed to indicate that they were in the market for a top tier QB prospect, but did not sign anyone. They had a wave of retirements but did not spend big in free agency. Their roster simply does not impress, though we still see talent in players like DE Hugh Douglas, LB Joey Porter, and WR Muhsin Muhammad. The problem is that there are just too many holes, too many guys being asked to do more than they have shown they can handle. Do we really expect Aaron Brooks to turn into an All-USFL QB when he has never shown that quality before? And if he cannot handle it, can CFL arrival Henry Burris really be the answer? We already know that Reuben Droughns is not enough at HB, and while the acquisition of TE Christian Fauria is a good upgrade at the position, it is not nearly enough. We think Glanville will need to clean house after what we believe will be a long and painful year in Sin City. OUR EXPERTS PICK THE 2005 SEASON We gathered up our experts from across the ESPN galaxy, not just our football guys, but anyone we thought might have special insight, and asked them to predict the 2005 USFL season. Here is what they have to say: Dan Patrick, ESPN USFL Prime Time Host I think a lot of fans and experts around the league were so enraptured by the story surrounding Steve Spurrier and the resurgence of the Bandits that their loss to New Jersey in the Conference Title Game was a complete shocker. I don’t think it should have been. New Jersey was a strong team in every phase of the game. The retirement of Phil Hansen certainly makes them have to reassess, but they are still a very talented squad, and one absolutely capable of holding their own in the division, and potentially winning it all. I am going to make a bold prediction and say that we will have the first ever Summer Bowl rematch with the Generals and Wranglers meeting again in the 2005 title game in Houston. Lynn Swan, ESPN USFL Color Commentator Way to be daring, Mike. Pick the same teams to compete again. I am not going to do that. I am going to go out on a limb. We all know that for whatever reason the LA Express are only good in odd-numbered years, well, folks it is 2005, and that is an odd numbered year, so I am going to say that Coach Hall and Cade McNown rise up again, and this time they rise up big, learning the lessons from Ohio, Boston, and Tampa Bay and throwing everything into that offense. I love DeShaun Foster as a lead back, I love the combo of Tory Holt and Keyshawn Johnson at wideout. I am saying it is a wild offensive Summer Bowl, but LA takes out Boston for their first title. Lee Corso, ESPN College Football Guru Not so fast, my friend. You are overlooking the Bandits, and that does not seem like a good idea to me. They have a star QB, a run game that compliments him well, and in my mind the best WR to play in the USFL since Trumaine Johnson in Randy Moss. This is a team that should scare people. If their defense is even average then they win games by 10 or more points each week. I like the Bandits and I like them big. I am going to pick them to take the title over Arizona in one of the highest scoring Summer Bowls ever. Dick Vitale, ESPN College Basketball Legend This is crazy! Why are you even talking to me about this! Talk about your March Madness, baby! Do you know how much I am not paying attention to the USFL right now? Sure, fine, I will be tuning in for sure when the nets come down in St. Louie, baby, but don’t ask me about it now! Fine,sure, lemme guess. Cause that is what it is, a guess at best. I like Ohio, a classic, a big time baller, a team that can mix it up and dish it out. Ohio for the W, baby! Michelle Tafoya, Monday Night USFL Sideline Reporter Love the enthusiasm, Dick, now get back down to that Villanova game because it is not going to call itself. Gentlemen, you are all wrong. Some good guesses, but all wrong. The team that has done the most, and the team that is going to shock everyone is the Philadelphia Stars. I know Kurt Warner did not have a great run in New York, but this is the man who ran the Greatest Show on Turf. And they pair him up with Ahman Green in the backfield. That almost seems unfair. It is going to be a huge year for the Stars, and for wideout Steve Smith, who finally will be able to take advantage of his speed with Warner hitting him on fly after fly. Stars over the Dragons in the title game is the call. Bucky Badger, U. of Wisconsin Mascot (Gestures emphatically, indicating he is not allowed to talk). Shown a series of photos of team logos he seems to get excited about Chicago and Seattle, so we guess he is picking Chicago and Seattle. Why did we ask a mute fluffy badger mascot to weigh in on this? Whose idea was this? Was it Corso’s, we bet it was Corso. Guys, someone needs to vet these ideas before they get into the magazine, right? Our ESPN The Magazine Crew We fought this one out, we really did, but here are our official predictions for the 2005 Seasaon: NORTHEAST: 1-NJ, 2-PHI, 3-WSH, 4-BAL. Generals and Stars in postseason. SOUTHEAST: 1-TBY, 2-BOS, 3-JAX, 4-ORL Bandits and Cannons in postseason. CENTRAL: 1-OHIO, 2-CHI, 3-PIT, 4-MGN Glory and Chicago edge the Maulers for playoff spots. SOUTHERN: 1-NSH 2-NOR 3-MEM 4-BIR Nashville gets in again with a marginal 8-6 record. SOUTHWEST: 1-ARZ 2-HOU 3-DEN 4-TEX Arizona wins the division going away. Houston is a Wild Card. PACIFIC: 1-LA, 2-SEA, 3-OAK, 4-LV Oakland makes the playoffs, along with LA and Seattle SUMMER BOWL 2005: Tampa Bay defeats Seattle 42-38 MVP: Daunte Culpepper, QB, Tampa Bay OPOTY: Randy Moss, WR, Tampa Bay DPOTY: Brian Urlacher, LB, Chicago Rookie: Frank Gore, HB, Nashville Coach: Jim Harbaugh, Philadelphia

To say that the last month has been a flurry of activity would not do it justice. We had mid-camp trades, we had late signings, an active NFL-USFL window that saw a past Super Bowl MVP come to the USFL, we even had what essentially turned out to be a QB swap between the USFL and the CFL, something we do not see every year. We also had a good number of top USFL draft picks opt out in favor of fall football with the NFL, including both of the top QB’s in the draft pool. And now, as teams focus on the final preseason game of the and year finalize their rosters for Week 1 of the regular season, we can look back, determine who looks like an improved team, and who may slide a bit. Look ahead to some of the exciting new faces on USFL rosters, and prepare to get wrapped up in spring football once again. Let’s get right to it with our Story of the Month. Kurt Warner to Philadelphia We knew something was up when the Stars did not make a big trade to land a QB, and then did not move up to draft a QB, they had to have a plan in place. Everyone figured that neither Will Furrer or untested David Garrard would finish camp as the starter in Philly, and we all were right. On the first day of the NFL-USFL transfer window the Stars made a major move which we suspect has been in the works for a while, at least since the NY Giants released former Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner. Warner, who rose to fame after a miraculous 1999 season with the St. Louis Rams, was the poster child for the undervalued and overlooked player who made it big. He went to 2 Super Bowls with the Rams, winning them both, but later suffered some bad years and was sent off to the Giants. He showed some signs of life in New York, but a combination of injuries and bad teams once again knocked Warner down. So now he gets to start over again, a new team, a new league, and a new lease on life. Warner will join a very different Philadelphia Stars team from the one that limped through the 2004 season. The Stars have a new head coach in first time HC Jim Harbaugh, a former NFL QB himself. He has a slew of new teammates, all learning what Philly is going to be about together. Not the least of these new teammates is the 2004 USFL Rushing Leader, Ahman Green, formerly of the Nashville Knights. Green instantly gives Philadelphia a run game that it has been looking for over the past few years. Add in some significant talent outside with Steve Smith and Amani Toomer, and don’t forget new additions like WR Charles Lee (NFL signee) and rookie receivers Roddy White and Rasheed Marshall, and this Stars offense could be a very different beast, one that Kurt Warner could turn from docile pup to ferocious wolf. Favre Unretires Just as Most Expected Well, that did not last long. Only about 5 months after announcing his retirement, former Birmingham QB Brett Favre announced he was unretiring and immediately signed to play with the New York Jets. Essentially, he is taking about 18 months off, missing the 2004 NFL season and the 2005 USFL season, and then returning to action in Fall of 2006. This was not unexpected. Many who knew Favre were pretty sure he was not done with the game, and since the Stallions held his rights in the USFL the best option was to look at the NFL and see if he could sign a deal for 2006. Will the long gap between seasons be an issue for one of the USFL’s most heralded quarterbacks, and will going to a team that is somewhat infamous for finding ways to screw up sweet situations lead to greater issues for Favre? Interesting questions, but after years of surviving behind less-than-stellar lines in Birmingham, a long rest period and a chance to play for a new team may just be what Favre needs to regain his swagger. A Rare CFL-USFL Swap Technically it was not a swap per se, but it essentially ended up that way. Las Vegas, having traded with Oakland for the right to pick Aaron Rodgers in the USFL Territorial Draft, was scrambling after Rodgers signed with the NFL 49ers, who selected him first overall in the NFL Draft only 2 weeks later. With Aaron Brooks now looking like the starter for the Thunder, and only rookie Brock Berlin behind him on the depth chart, the Thunder started looking at every possible answer. They could try to resign Akili Smith, but that would be an embarrassing step backwards for a team that seemed pretty comfortable letting Smith go. They looked at the USFL free agent pool and did not find anyone at such a late date who could even be expected to back up Brooks, much less challenge him for the starting job. With Philadelphia jumping on Kurt Warner on the first day of the NFL-USFL transfer window, Las Vegas’s only NFL option would be Vinny Testaverde, and the asking price and risk for an elder statesman QB was not something Phil Ruffin and the Vegas ownership group would support. So, what do the desperate Thunder do? They head off to the Great White North, eh. With several pro-seasoned QBs in Canada, Las Vegas looked for a player who as entering free agency in the CFL and found what they were looking for in the form of Saskatchewan QB Henry Burris. Burris had spent the past 2 years in Regina after previously playing for the Stampeders, as well as having short stints in Chicago and Green Bay with the NFL. While hardly a household name south of the 49th parallel, Burris has been successful with the Roughriders, throwing for 23 TDs and 4,267 yards in 2004. So, the Las Vegas Thunder now have a backup QB who could potentially challenge Aaron Brooks for the starter position, and what is more, he and Brooks play a similar style, so OC Joe Tiller can build one offense and not worry if a QB shift is needed at any point in the season. But, what about Saskatchewan, who just lost their starting QB. They now found themselves in the same position Las Vegas had been in. So, what do they do? They sign the best available USFL free agent, who just happens to be former Las Vegas Thunder starter Akili Smith. So, while no interaction occurred between the Thunder and the Roughriders, what we have is essentially a swap of starting QBs from 2004. One of the offseason’s weirder storylines to be sure. NFL and USFL Signings The Warner signing in Philadelphia and the QB swap involving Las Vegas were hardly the only big offseason stories to break over the past month. We will leave our discussion of the hits and misses in the draftee signings for a little bit later and start off with our Top 10 NFL and USFL signings of the past month. 10—Honestly, the NFL signings to the USFL this year were not exactly earthshaking, so rather than try to pick the one we think could have a big impact, here are several that will at least produce some interest around the league: QB Kelly Holcomb leaves the Browns to back up Tom Brady in New Jersey; OT Jonas Jennings departs the cold of Buffalo for the Orlando Renegades. Orlando also inked slot receiver Eddie Berlin from the Tennessee Copperheads. WR Travis Taylor (Ravens) and LB Donnie Spragan (Broncos) both found their way to the Gold, who continue to surprise us with their offseason spending. TE Marcellus Rivers (Giants) is now a member of the Michigan Panthers, and Memphis added depth behind Heath Shuler, by signing scrambler Mike McMahon away from the Detroit Lions. CB Kenny Wright (Oilers) will now be in Las Vegas, while HB Anthony Thomas (Bears) moves to Houston to back up Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell. Finally, the last name we expect to play a factor this year, SS Kenoy Kennedy (Broncos) is now going to join Tampa Bay as they try to add depth to the secondary. 9—Leaving behind a pretty lackluster NFL free agent crop for anyone not named Kurt Warner, USFL teams spent a lot more time shuffling their own rosters with other USFL players. The first of these on our Top 10 late acquisitions list is free agent TE Itula Mili, who now finds himself as the 2nd TE behind Stephen Alexander in Ohio. Not bad ending up on a team that most expect to contend for the title once again. 8— At the 8 spot we find another TE, as talented Outlaw blocking TE Roland Williams will now be helping Jacksonville protect Jake Delhomme. With the Bulls, Williams may even get the chance to be a primary receiver, something he never was able to accomplish in Texas. 7— QB Todd Boumann was expected to be a pretty hot commodity this offseason, but he never got the offer he and his agent expected. There was thought that he could end up in the NFL after clearing most of the free agency period, but just as NFL teams like the Cardinals and Chiefs started inquiring, his agent was able to get him a deal with the Texas Outlaws, where he could put some pressure on Jeff Lewis. 6— We have two trades in the past month that involved 4 players changing squads. The first of the two is between Chicago and Memphis, as the Machine cleared some cap and picked up players and a draft pick from Memphis. The Showboats got the better of the initial deal, but when you add in the 2nd round pick in next year’s draft, it is clear Chicago is looking long term. Memphis upgrades at two key positions of need, adding SS Coy Wire and TE Been Hartsook, while Chicago has a bit of a downgrade, receiving TE Michael Ricks and SS Glenn Earl. 5— Guard Tuten Reyes is one of the better players to slip to the end of the free agency period, but he eventually found a home with the New Jersey Generals. Not too shabby, moving to the league champion and immediately getting a shot to help New Jersey return to the Summer Bowl once again. 4— We were wondering what would happen to Joe King after most teams seemed to settle their SS position while the former All-USFL safety was still out there. Well, the ignominy of not being snatched up quickly may well be a reason why King recently announced his plan to sit out a year, to heal, and to then determine if he was retired or returning to the field at 36 years old in 2006. We think there are certainly teams who would have benefitted from Joe King in the secondary, but apparently not at the price he was asking. 3— One of the biggest darkhorses for a breakout 2005 season has been TE Bradford Banta. After a really strong campaign with Tampa Bay, one which saw him overtake Jeremy Schockey as Duante Culpepper’s preferred safety valve targets, Banta entered free agency and waited…and waited… before finally getting an offer he could jump at as the newest member of the Houston Gamblers. Houston did very little in the early stages of free agency, but they have come on strong at the end, and likely at a bargain as player demands tend to dip once camps open. 2— A 4-player trade brings two very high quality players to new teams as Houston continues to wheel and deal late in the offseason. The Gamblers depart with DT Leonard Renfro, sending the big man over to Nashville for a younger edge rusher to pair with Kavika Pittman. It looks like Osi Umenyiura will immediately take over the Michael Sinclair role in Wade Phillips’ defense. It is a fascinating swap in that both players were very solid in 2004, and did not seem to be on the trading block, but Houston needed more edge help, confident that Richard Seymour could more than hold his own in the middle, while Nashville, feeling good about pairing KGB with 2nd year player Jared Allen, felt that Umenyiura was worth trading if it would help shore up a pretty weak interior line. The trade also included DE David McMillan of Houston and DT Anttaj Hawthorne of Nashville, as both clubs essentially swapped a reserve player to fill the spot left by the other club’s departing top tier player. 1—We know we have covered this before, but how can Philadelphia’s signing of former Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner not be the top move of the late free agency period. When you pair it with the best pickup of the opening month of free agency, signing Nashville’s Ahman Green, it is hard not to be bullish on the Stars as a team capable of jumping from the basement to the penthouse. Of course, they will need to get past New Jersey to do that, but how fun will those two games between the Stars and Generals be this year? Other moves worth noting: Arizona sent backup HB Earnest Graham to Washington for two 5th rounders, a move that makes sense after the Wranglers added Duce Staley and Larry Johnson this offseason. The move should be a good one for Graham, who has shown some sparks, but just never got the chance in Arizona. With the Federals he will be behind Duce McCallister, but he should be 2nd on the depth chart, and that means more opportunities to shine. In another interesting development involving the Wranglers, LB Kevin Hardy, after announcing his retirement from football, reconsidered, and accepted an offer from the Wranglers to return as a member of their squad. But, in order to sign Hardy, Arizona had to compensate the Nashville Knights, who still owned the rights to the shortly-retired linebacker. A 5th round pick next year did the trick, and now the 32-year old LB joins the Wranglers in what could be a crowded linebacker group alongside Lance Briggs, Karlos Dansby, Corey Miller, and Antony Jordan. Rookie Signing Review As always the excitement of the USFL Draft quickly fades into the harsh reality that the USFL and NFL are in competition and that no team’s picks are guaranteed. The USFL tends to do well in later rounds, while the NFL has more resources to sign the bigger name players, though every year a solid 10-12 NFL first round picks end up choosing the USFL. This year we saw mixed results, with QB being a tough position for the USFL while defenders seemed to be more likely to join the spring league. We will start our review with the big fish that got away, and then look at those who are in camp and ready to roll with the USFL this spring. The Ones that Got Away QB Aaron Rodgers (Cal): Signs with San Francisco 49ers. Selected by Texas by trading their #1 overall pick to Oakland for the Invaders’ first T-Draft selection. A big swing and a big miss for the Outlaws as they gave up the #1 overall pick to draft Rodgers only for the Cal QB to stay in the bay area with the 49ers. Not only does Texas not have a franchise QB for the next decade, they now have a disgruntled starter at the position in Jeff Lewis. WR Braylon Edwards (Michigan): Signs with Cleveland Browns. Drafted by Oakland #1 overall. The Invaders were hoping to bookend Edwards with Plaxico Burress, but now they will have to look to Taylor Jacobs and Marty Booker to take pressure off Burress. CB Adam “Pac Man” Jones (WVU): Signs with Tennessee Copperheads. Drafted by Birmingham #6 overall. This may be a dodged bullet for the Stallions. Jones has some issues which are just now coming to light, and that could be an issue moving forward. QB Alex Smith (Utah): Signs with Washington Redskins. Drafted by Orlando #7 overall. Orlando was another team hoping they had the stuff to land a potential franchise QB, but once again the NFL offer was too good. So Smith heads to DC in the fall and it looks like Jeff Blake now has the chance to prove he is a starting QB. With only Koy Detmer and late round QB Matt Cassel of USC on the roster, the job is his to take. WR Matt Jones (Arkansas): Signs with Jacksonville Jaguars. Drafted #9 overall by Jacksonville Bulls. The Bulls needed this signing, but they got outbid by the other Jacksonville club, the Jags. The Bulls now have Anquan Boldin and then we are not sure. Javon Walker was the #2 last year, but the Bulls brought in Donald Hayes from New Jersey, so this could be a season long battle. HB Ronnie Brown (Auburn): Signs with the Miami Dolphins. Drafted #17 overall by Houston. The Gamblers were hoping to bring in the big back and move towards more of a lead back model, but they may have to stick to their HB by committee, rotating Tatum Bell, Mike Anderson, and NFL castoff Anthony Thomas into the position. OT Alex Barron (FSU): Signs with the St. Louis Rams. Drafted #19 overall by Boston. This cannot make Drew Bledsoe happy. Boston’s line is absolutely in flux, which could be a real issue for the Cannon offense. OT Michael Roos (EWU): Signs with Houston Oilers. Drafted #22 overall by Tampa Bay. Tampa was hoping to boost Daunte Culpepper’s numbers even more with better protection. They did add some help this offseason, but Roos would have been a nice upgrade. LB David Pollack (Georgia): Signs with Cincinnati. Drafted #30 by New Orleans Breakers. The Breakers spent a lot of energy and capital trying to reinforce a lot of holes in the defense, but LB was a bit of a luxury. If their signings at DE and DT work out, this may not be that bad of a whiff. DT Mike Patterson (USC): Signs with the Philadelphia Eagles. Drafted #33 by the LA Express. LA wanted to try to bring in a younger version of Norman Hand after Hand left in free agency. They picked Patterson in the Open Draft after passing on him in the T-Draft, and that seemed to rub the big DT the wrong way. WR Mark Bradley (OU): Signs with the Chicago Bears. Selected in T-Draft by New Jersey. With Donald Hayes now in Jacksonville, Bradley would have been a good add, but the Generals, still living in the afterglow of their league title, should do fine by moving either Jerome Pathon or another rookie, Mark Clayton, into the #2 position. HB J.J. Arrington (Cal): Signs with the Arizona Cardinals. Selected in T-Draft by Oakland. Oakland lost both Mack Strong and Rashaan Salaam this offseason, so Arrington would have been an instant impact player, but the Cal star heads to the desert with the NFL Cardinals and Oakland now turns to Ricky Williams, just reinstated in the league, to move the rock. QB Charlie Frye (Akron): Signs with the Cleveland Browns. Drafted in 3rd round by Ohio. A third round QB is never a sure thing, so we don’t feel too bad for Ohio. They still have 3-time MVP Kerry Collins at the helm and Chris Redman is a more than adequate #2. The Most Anticipated 2005 USFL Rookies Despite missing out on some pretty big name players, including both Aaron Rodgers and Alex Smith, there are still several big time college players who you will be able to see in USFL uniforms this year. Here is our quick rundown of the 15 rookies we expect to make big waves in 2005. 15—Darren Sproles, HB, Dragons: Seattle loves his ability on kick and punt returns, and we expect to see him a lot on third down as well. 14—Courtney Roby, WR, Federals: The Indiana product could see some time backing up Deion Branch. He is not suited to be a slot receiver, so his action will come as others get spelled on long drives. 13—Carlos Rogers, CB, Express: Rogers will start out as the nickel back for LA, but we would not be surprised to see him overtake Renaldo Hill by season’s end as the #2 CB. 12—Kirk Morrison, LB, Showboats: A smart and hard-hitting LB, Morrison earned the starting MLB position in camp, really unusual for a rookie. 11—Reggie Brown, WR, Dragons: Brown has had something of an up and down preseason. He still should see action, though likely only subbing for O.J. McDuffie on some drives. 10—Vincent Jackson, WR, Maulers: Chosen alongside Mike Williams, Jackson has shown more in camp and will get the chance to show his stuff as a starter alongside Nate Burleson, while Williams is relegated to spot duty. But, of course, this could change at any time. 9—Erasmus James, DE, Federals: James is viewed as a plug and play guy for the Feds. He will take over at Left Ed, with Greg Spires holding down the RE position. 8—Cedric Benson, HB, Gold: You know Denver will run Benson into the ground if he will let them. He still needs to work on his receiving and blocking skills if he wants to stay in for all 3 downs, but at least we should expect him in the backfield each and every 1st and 2nd down. 7—Justin Tuck, DE, Stallions: The golden domer was seen as a bit of a stretch for the Stallions, but he has been a star in camp and starts the season as the swing DE behind Grant Wistrom and Mike Rucker. 6—Roddy White, WR, Stars: A good slot receiver who is showing an affinity for the one-handed grab in camp. White will be the designated slot receiver (#3) when the Stars take to the field. 5—Troy Williamson, WR, Thunder: Williamson is another rookie who looks to get lots of snaps as a slot receiver, with Muhammad and Hatchette locking down the two outside receiver positions. 4—Frank Gore, HB, Knights: Gore fell to the perfect position, a team desperate to find a new HB after losing Ahman Green to the Stars in free agency. Can the Miami product handle the load? He had better, because Leon Johnson and fellow rookie Cedric Houston are the only other backs that Nashville retained after final cuts. 3—DeMarcus Ware, LB, Panthers: This was a tough call, because both Ware and MLB Shawne Merriman are expected to start as rookies for the Panthers. This could be a disaster or it could give Michigan one of the most aggressive and violent LB corps in the league. 2—Cadillac Williams, HB, Showboats: Another halfback falling to a team that will do everything they can to get him the ball and hope it works out. Williams will be the starter in Memphis, but is likely to step out on 3rd down in favor of fellow rookie Lionel Gates or backup Maurice Smith. 1—Jason Campbell, QB, Stallions: Of the three projected 1st round QBs, only Campbell signed with his USFL club, and Campbell is being handed the keys to the car as it were. He will be under pressure, stepping in after Brett Favre, but he will likely have a reduced roll in Coach Franchione’s offense, as they refocus on the run with Shaun Alexander leading the charge. Other players to watch: DT Luis Castillo (TEX), DE Chauncey Davis (ORL), CB Marlin Jackson (CHI), S Antrel Rolle (TBY), TE Joel Dreesen (OAK), WR Mike Williams (PIT), WR Roscoe Parrish (TBY), LB Channing Crowder (ORL), DE Dan Cody (NJ), LB Lofa Tutupu (LA), HB Maurice Clarett (CHI), HB Brandon Jacobs (PIT), WR Mark Clayton (NJ), HB Marion barber (BOS), TE Bo Scaife (TEX), and WR Lance Moore (BOS) Week One Preview We will be looking at the team by team predictions and roster changes in the 2nd half of our 2005 USFL Preview Edition, but we thought we would at least highlight the best matchups and most interesting stories of Week One as we prepare to kick off the 23rd season of USFL football. New Jersey @ Seattle: A really interesting cross-country matchup kicks us off the 2005 season on Friday Night. The league champions head out to Seattle to face the Dragons in one of their biggest prime time games ever. Can the Pacific Division champs make a statement right out of the gate? Will New Jersey have a pass rush without Phil Hansen? A really good kickoff game. Philadelphia @ Las Vegas: We put this game up here as a game that is all about teams trying to reinvent themselves. The Stars have a new coach, new QB, new HB and new attitude. They are a darling of the press after signing Ahman Green and snagging a former Super Bowl MVP in Kurt Warner. Can they put it all together quickly? Las Vegas is the mirror image, a team that swung big to try to land Aaron Rodgers and failed to do so. Can they turn things around for former Tampa Bay Bandit HC Jerry Glanville, or will it be more of the same for this snakebit franchise? Chicago @ Nashville: Two clubs who look to their defenses to lead the way. Can either develop their offenses enough to make a serious playoff run? And which new players will have an immediate impact? Will it be HB Brian Westbrook or even rookie Maurice Clarett for Chicago, or will Nashville’s late acquisition of DT Leonard Renfro help shut down the run while rookie Frank Gore tries to become the next big thing for the Knights? Ohio @ Birmingham: A really tough first game for rookie QB Jason Campbell of Birmingham, not because the Ohio defense is a danger to him, but because the pressure to keep pace with Ohio’s point-a-minute offense could require that Campbell sling the ball around more than he ever did at Auburn. Orlando @ Arizona: The Wranglers had a season to remember in 2004, but they came up just short in the Summer Bowl. Will that stoke the flames for another run, or will they suffer a post-defeat hangover? Orlando seems mismatched with Arizona, but there are a lot of new faces in Renegade helmets, and with a new coach in Emmitt Thomas, cand the ‘Gades kick things off with a win on the road? Boston @ Houston: An intriguing matchup of two clubs that could be on the way up. Boston had their big leap forward last year, but fell short in the playoffs. They lost a big piece of their success in WR Robert Ferguson, but still look very dangerous. Houston won with defense, and even survived the season-ending injury to Matt Hasselbeck to make the playoffs. What can they do with Hasselbeck back in the fold? Tampa Bay @ Denver: The Bandits seemed to be on a fast track to a title until they got derailed at home by New Jersey. Denver, for the first time in a long time, got outpaced in their division. Can the Gold rebound, now with a stud rookie HB leading the charge, or will Tampa Bay’s amazing offensive run from 2004 continue with a season opening win at Mile High? Other matchups include 2nd year QB Ben Roethlisberger leading the Baltimore Blitz against the Oakland Invaders. Washington will head out to LA to take on the Express in a battle of clubs hoping to regain an edge in their divisions. Jacksonville and Texas will clash in the AlamoDome in John Mackovic’s first game as a pro head coach. Michigan will be in New Orleans, with both teams hoping their completely rebuilt defenses can show some early signs of success. And finally, Memphis will host Pittsburgh as both teams look to rookies to reignite their offenses, wideouts Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams for the Maulers and HB Cadillac Williams for the Showboats.

January 22, 2005 A lot to talk about as we review the picks from this week’s USFL Open Draft. We should recap some of the picks from the Territorial Draft, talk about the lastest free agent signings, and all those pre-draft trades. We will start with the trades, then a quick review of the signings before a team by team evaluation of the two stages of the collegiate draft. Still some big questions out there to be answered as we prepare for camps and the second NFL-USFL Transfer window. Never knowing how many picks from the draft will sign, we simply don’t know yet if teams have aced this year’s process or have set themselves up for failure, but we will do our best to provide as realistic a vision of this year’s offseason as we can. PRE-DRAFT TRADES We start with the big trades that led up to the T-Draft and Open Draft. Lots of picks and players changing hands as teams try to consolidate their rosters, position themselves for highly coveted players, and ensure they have the cap room to be competitive with NFL offers for the players they cannot afford to lose out on. We start with a straight up player for player draft, a rarity in this year’s swaps. Seattle freed up some cap space by trading high-priced guard Edwin Mulitalo off to Boston for nickel back Allen Rossum. The move did not save Seattle much, but every penny counts when you are trying to get under that cap. The Dragons then made two more trades, both players for picks, in hope of creating cap room to sign their rookie class. First, with Allen Rossum on the roster, they ditched another high value contract by sending #1 corner Willie Middlebrooks to Nashville. The Knights were more than happy to take Middlebrooks off Seattle’s hands, and to only give up a 2nd and a 5th rounder to get one of the league’s better coverage corners. The final cap-clearing move for Seattle was to send tackle Jeff Backus off to Birmingham in exchange for a 5th rounder this year and a 2nd rounder in the 2006 draft. That’s 2 fives and 2 twos over the next two drafts for Seattle, who appear ready for a youth movement. Another tackle changing hands is former Philadelphia Star Michael Cheever, who finds his way to Jacksonville for a 4th rounder this year and a 3rd rounder in 2006. Cheever is a solid pass blocker, but would not suit Coach Harbaugh’s zone blocking scheme in the run game, so off he goes to the Bulls. New Orleans solved their emergency QB situation, obtaining Baltimore QB Spergon Wynn for a 4th round pick this year. The Breakers still have to decide if it is Trent Dilfer or Eli Manning at #3, but Wynn provides them with a solid option in the emergency practice squad position. We had a 2 player for 2 picks trade as Michigan dumped some salary and Tampa Bay dealt away some picks they had acquired in earlier trades. The Bandits send Oakland’s #1 pick as well as Oakland’s 3rd rounder, both obtained in the Trent Green trade to the Invaders. In return they may have locked up their LT with Michigan’s Ross Verba coming to town. They also get a backup HB who is well suited to fill in for Willis McGahee as Autrey Detson is now a member of the Bandits. Finally, the mystery of whether or not Oakland would take a shot at Aaron Rodgers was solved as the Invaders got their way back into the first round of the open draft by trading their top T-Draft pick to the Texas Outlaws, who would use the pick to claim Rodgers, and in return Texas sent the #1 overall pick in the Open Draft to the Invaders. Texas, clearly putting themselves in a position to move on from Jeff Lewis, are now working to sign Cal QB Aaron Rodgers, in hopes that he will provide a spark to an offense that still lacks big playmakers. Free Agency & Retirement Wrap Up With the NFL-USFL Transfer Window about to reopen, we have to say that there are not a lot of top players left for the NFL to pick over. That is not atypical, as the USFL largely gets picked apart in August, as we saw with the departures of Andre Rison, Carl Pickens, Sean Lumpkin, Mike Prior, Greg Biekert, Matt O’Dwyer, Malcolm Floyd and a host of others. With the NFL season wrapping up, it is now the USFL’s best window to sign players. But, before that window opens, we should explore the biggest player moves since we last checked in. Phil Hansen To Retire We start with what has to be a disappointment in New Orleans as the Breakers were close to locking up a deal with former General DE Phil Hansen, but as negotiations were getting close to completion, Hansen had second thoughts and instead announced his decision to retire from football. His presence certainly would have made waves for the Breakers, but it also makes sense that the 34-year old, career long NJ General, would step down rather than restart with a new team. Hansen retires as the all-time sack leader with a jaw-dropping 289 sacks in a 14-year career, 14 seasons in which he never finished with fewer than 12 sacks, and an 8-year run in which he was over 20 sacks each season. Truly stunning numbers from one of the USFL greats. Additional Retirements Another surprising late-offseason retirement was that of former Express, Blitz, and Dragon QB Jeff Garcia. Garcia had been rumored to be going to Las Vegas, but that never materialized and just before the holidays, Garcia announced that he would be stepping away from the game. Garcia had his best year in Baltimore in 2001, when he threw for 3,652 yards and 24 touchdowns, but his 2002 season was marred by injuries and interceptions. In 2003 he threw 17 picks to only 13 touchdowns for the Blitz, and was sent to Seattle last year, where he spent the year on the bench. Other offseason retirements include guard Eric Mahlum, who had signed on for a year with the Federals, but later opted out and stepped away from the game, and LB Allen Aldridge, who was all set to leave Jacksonville for the Stars, but failed the physical with Philadelphia, prompting his retirement announcement. Among those who have signed new deals, we find former Machine DT Darwin Walker, who will be joining the Tampa Bay Bandits as a pressure DT in their 4-3 scheme. Memphis finally landed the player they had coveted all offseason, 2004 breakout player, WR Robert Ferguson, formerly of Boston. With the Showboats, Ferguson is likely to start the year at the #1 spot, fulfilling his desire to prove that he could be a true #1 after breaking out this season as the #2 option in Boston, opposite Chad Ochocinco, the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. Another big signing this offseason was Nashville landing Denver’s Chris Cowart. The Weakside LB will be a welcome addition to a defense that had lost a bit of its swagger the past two seasons. Duce Staley found a new home this past month, home in a crowded backfield as Staley signs on to share carries with Larry Johnson in Arizona. Johnson was traded by the Stars earlier this offseason, and will likely serve as the big inside runner, allowing Staley to get perhaps 12-15 carries a game as the speedier and more elusive alternative. Pittsburgh hopes it has added some edge threat by signing Cedric Harden away from the Ohio Glory, while Memphis made another move, this time on defense, locking up DT Leon Bender to help solidify the interior of their line. Wideout Bobby Engram found himself a home in New Orleans, where he may take on the flanker role, allowing New Orleans to move Az-Zahir Hakeem back inside to the slot, where he is most effective. Two veteran QBs were also taken off the free agent list as both Brian Griese and Rick Mirer signed on to be backups. Griese, who initially was insisting that he remained a viable starter ended up returning to his college home in Michigan, signing with the Panthers, where he is almost certainly going to play second fiddle to Drew Brees. Mirer, who made no claims to be a starter, seems quite content to back up Daunte Culpepper in Tampa Bay. Perhaps the chance to be part of a likely championship contender was enough to inspire the former Golden Domer to sign on the dotted line. Other late free agent signings include: WR Eddie Kennison in Baltimore, LB Akin Ayodele with the LA Express, CB DeShea Townsend in Ohio, LB Zach Thomas with the Philadelphia Stars, WR Freddie Scott with the Boston Cannons, and DE Corey Sears, who will be asked to do his best Phil Hansen imitation, signed with the Breakers after Hansen’s retirement announcement. With camps about to open, the remaining free agent pool is pretty shallow, at least for potential starters, but a few big names remain unsigned. Chief among these is former Bulls FS Joe King, Texas WR Kirby Dar Dar, LA center J.P. Machado, Feds’ WR Bobby Shaw, Arizona LB Steve Tovar, and Denver DT Mark Bouette. Ricky Williams Reinstated The news Oakland had been hoping for became official this week as the League Office announced that HB Ricky Williams had been cleared to resume his career as one of the newest members of the Invaders’ squad. Williams, who had moved out to the bay 2 months ago, has been unable to attend mini-camps or to practice at the league facilty, but now can join the team in full standing. Getting Williams from “training on his own” shape into “football shape” will be the primary focus of the next few weeks for the former Breaker. We Have a Winner Well, at least a winning design, as the Atlanta Fire this week announced that the winning helmet design has been determined. The team’s Pick the Helmet Contest got more than 173,000 votes, and the winner, but a reasonably large margin was a return to the 2002 look that the team wore for only one season. The helmet dubbed “The Old Flame” includes a navy shell and mask, with the team’s stylized flame patter emerging from the front and flowing to the rear of the helmet. The helmet will be part of a new uniform, revealed at this week’s press event, which brings back a lot of the elements of the 1995 look as well as the 2002 update. The home jersey remains bright “flame orange” with blue sleeves and white numbers outlined in navy. The white jersey also features navy sleeves, with orange numbers outlined in navy and athletic gold. The newest feature of the Atlanta look is the use of ombre effect side panel and pant stripes. The side panels on both the home and road jerseys begin with two navy stripes, which are interrupted before beginning again as an ombre-effect set of orange and gold stripes. These stripes continue to the pants, where they run almost the full length of the leg before ending just above the knee. The team has both navy and white pant sets, both using the same orange ang gold dual stripe pattern. The team’s new secondary logo, two axes over a fireman’s shield, did not end up on the helmet, as was one of the options but will appear on each sleeve and as a small sticker just above the rear bumper on the team’s navy helmets. Cities & Owners Lining Up for 2008 Expansion Bids Speaking of expansion clubs, things are beginning to take shape as the league prepares for the first round of proposals for the two 2008 expansion clubs. It seems clear that there are 5 serious contenders for the two spots, and with the league already outlining that they would be adding one team to each of the two conferences, which are separated by geographical designations of East and West, it seems like we have 2 contenders for the West and a three-way battle in the East. Here is a brief breakdown of each potential bid. DFW Football Group: A group seeking to put a club in the largest metro area without USFL representation, the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Led by oil man Robert Bass, this is an interesting bid. While the Dallas metroplex might seem a shoe in as a huge market and a football town, what makes this bid interesting is the Bass family’s, and particularly Robert’s, emphasis on Ft. Worth over Dallas. Bass resides in Ft. Worth, and seems very much interested in removing the city’s somewhat secondary status in relationship to Dallas. What does that mean for the USFL? It means that in all likelihood this team would not be playing at Texas Stadiu, or at Jerry Jones’s proposed new Arlington stadium, not even at the Cotton Bowl, but in Ft. Worth at Amon G. Carter Stadium on the campus of TCU . While a good-sized facility at 47,000 capacity, the focus on Ft. Worth, even the possibility of naming the team Ft. Worth instead of Dallas, could be seen as a negative by the league. Is it enough to submarine the bid? Seems unlikely, but with several owners already proving they have a mindset for restoration projects after approving both St. Louis and Atlanta for franchises as replacements for lost clubs, and with Portland being the other primary western bidder, we could see any glitch in the Dallas proposal being a possible tipping point away from the bid. PDX Football Group: Portland’s bid to return to the USFL fold after the Thunder suffered an ownership crisis and departed for Las Vegas in 2003. With a new state of the art stadium already under construction, the city has an appeal. Adding in ownership interest from some of the region’s big hitters, primarily Columbia Sportswear’s Tim Boyle, there is significant financial and governmental support behind the PDX bid. There are a lot of owners who are still very much unsatisfied with how the Thunder sale and relocation went down, essentially feeling strongarmed into approval because of the circumstances of the sale. The question for Boyle and his associates is where were they a few years ago when the Thunder were on the market and needed to be saved? Coming in now, with an expansion bid, seems like closing the barn door after the cows have left, but, with that said, we could see a potential push to restore a team in Portland, as certainly the ownership of both Seattle and Oakland, who counted themselves as rivals of the Thunder, are already on board in trying to return football to the Rose City. Charlotte Football For Carolina (CFFC): This investment group, led by Charleston, SC, based Ben Navarro is hoping to parlay the NFL’s success in the “Queen City” into year round football by bringing a USFL team to the Charlotte area. With a deal in hand to share Charlotte’s recently-renamed Bank of America Stadium with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, the Charlotte group is hoping that the Panthers’s success in the box office, and the perception of Charlotte as a rapidly-growing, financial and corporate hub in the South, will attract the USFL’s attention. Navarro is an interesting figure in the ownership group. The founder of Sherman Financial Group (which in turn owns Credit One Bank), Navarro has very few ties to Charlotte itself. Born and educated in New England, Navarro now lives in Charleston, South Carolina, but sees Charlotte as a city with great potential, and that includes the potential to support two clubs in the most expensive sport to operate. Will his vision of sharing Bank Of America Stadium with the NFL Panthes be a plus for the USFL or will it be seen as a missed opportunity to reach a new market in the Southeast? Triangle Football Group: This group, whose awkwardly ambiguous name represents the North Carolina triangle region of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, is an interesting bid in that they essentially are making the case that while Charlotte has the NFL, the triangle area of North Carolina is equally attractive, with strong financial and corporate resources, while also having the advantage of having 3 viable USFL stadia, with the collegiate homes of UNC, Duke, and NC State all located within the metro area. The fact that the group does not have an active agreement with any one stadium at this point seems a deterrent, but the RDCH team seems to be trying to use it as an advantage. Tim Sweeney of Epic Games fame, is the lead owner, and that in itself is intriguing, as the USFL has been working with rival California-based 2k for its popular USFL2k video game series. Would Sweeney as an owner be considered both a serious money man and a possible internal asset in the gaming sphere, much as Phil Knight of Nike was when he held the majority share of the then Portland Thunder? Tidewater Football Group: Perhaps the long shot in this race, this group, representing the combined communities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and the larger Hampton Roads or Tidewater region of Southeast Virginia is laying claim to one of the largest metro areas with no Big 4 professional teams. Whether the USFL sees the novelty of putting a team in an “unclaimed” region as a big plus is unknown. There are times where being the only game in town can be advantageous, but we have also seen more than a few cases over the years where a USFL team struggled with local authorities around the concept of stadium refurbishment and renovation when they were the only tenant in town. The fact that the largest stadium currently in place in the region is the 30,000 seat William “Dick” Price Stadium on the campus of Norfolk State University, is clearly a concern. If the Virginia group hopes to have any staying power in this three-way Eastern battle for a club, they will need to demonstrate plans and finances to potentially expand that facility to a minimum of 45,000 seats, or to construct a new facility. A lot of news, to be sure, but the past 10 days the buzz has been all about the USFL Draft, and the players who are potentially coming to a franchise near you. As we all have come to understand over the past 22 years, the drafts, both USFL and NFL are only the first half of a story of direct competition between the two leagues. The question always on the table is whether a player will sign with the USFL or the fall league, and while the numbers in the past half decade show that the USFL is able to sign about 50% of their draftees, the reality is that this number is skewed by the lower rounds of the Open Draft and the T-Draft bringing in higher rates of return. USFL first round picks are only signing with the spring league over the NFL about 30-35% of the time, while rounds 5-8 in the Open Draft, and the T-Draft tend to do better, with an almost 68% rate of return. What does that mean? It means that while we may focus our attention on the 1st round and the biggest names in the draft, the real meat of the success for the USFL is later on. So, we are going to look at that first round as we look over each club, but we would remind you all that only 1 in 3 of these top picks is likely to sign on with the USFL, a reality that will unquestionably impact clubs across the league as they try to finalize their camp rosters and prepare for the season ahead. With our team by team review, we will look at the first round, but also highlight a player or two who we think could help the squad from the T-Draft and later rounds, and a possible sleeper, someone you may not know by name but who has the stuff to make an impact in the USFL. We will follow the draft order, the one based on record, prior to trades impacting the actual draft. TEXAS OUTLAWS FIRST ROUND: We all know what the Outlaws did with their first round pick. They swapped the pick with Oakland for the right to draft with the Invaders #1 T-Draft selection, and that pick was none other than Cal QB Aaron Rodgers. So, now the Outlaws have to wait and see where Rodgers goes in the NFL Draft this week. Many have Rodgers as a potential #1 pick there as well, with the San Francisco 49ers. That may be a problem for the Outlaws, as the prospect of staying in the Bay Area after playing at Cal may be very appealing to Rodgers. Does Texas have the ability to sway Rodgers if that is the case, or will the QB head to the NFL and leave the Outlaws not only without a true 1st round talent in the draft, but with a very unhappy Jeff Lewis as their QB? T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: With their own T-Draft selections, Texas is hoping to sign former Longhorns Derrick Johnson (OLB) and Bo Scaife (TE) to the roster. Both are positions of need. Johnson will be the more expensive to sign as he is seen as a potential 1st round NFL pick, while Scaife is more of a project or developmental pick, unlikely to be drafted by the NFL, so a good potential addition. LATER ROUND GEMS: Looking back at the open draft, we love the selection of Luis Castillo, Northwestern’s big DT in the 2nd round, but perhaps the most intriguing pick is DE Trent Cole out of Cincinnati in the 5th round. Cole has some skills, but is raw and will need to be coached up. And, if you are wondering if the Outlaws did the typical USFL thing and doubled up on a position of need, yes, they did, with QB Dan Orlovsky of UConn taken in the final round. We expect that the Orlovsky pick is both not as high risk as trading to choose Rodgers, and also not seen by Jeff Lewis as a challenge in quite the same way. MICHIGAN PANTHERS FIRST ROUND: Coach LeBeau could not resist going for the most aggressive and disruptive defensive player in the draft with his 2nd overall pick. If they can sign him, LB DeMarcus Ware has the potential to be the next John Corker for the Panthers, a fast, instinctive, and hard-hitting linebacker capable of playing the run and rushing the passer. Ware played at Troy, which is not exactly top flight, but he dominated, so we don’t see any issues with him taking his game to the USFL if the Panthers can get his name on a contract. But wait, the Panthers also had the 4 pick in the draft and the #10 pick thanks to a series of trades the past two years. Did LeBeau add offensive weapons for Drew Brees with those two picks. Well, don’t tell Drew, but no, he didn’t. He shocked everyone with pick #4, going with a second LB, essentially doubling down on his chance to land one big impact defender but with the chance to actually add two in the same draft. Shawne Merriman of Maryland was the pick, and the images fans in Michigan must be having of Merriman and Ware teaming up in the Panther LB corps must be almost too much to imagine. It is an interesting strategy, and if Michigan is willing to throw some major cap room into the signings, could make for a great story, but it is risky to draft both as both players could see the dual signing as a negative. Oh, and yes, with #10 the Panthers did help Drew Brees, but not with a skill position, they added guard Evan Mathis of Alabama. A solid pulling guard who could help the Panther’s somewhat troubled run game. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: The Panthers surprised a lot of pundits by passing on wideout Braylon Edwards in the T-Draft, but Edwards has already made it clear he is waiting for the NFL offer before negotiating with the USFL, and that clearly sent bad vibes to the Panther front office. The Panthers played it conservatively overall, selecting more mid-round options like center David Baas (Michigan) and DT Kevin Vickerson (Michigan State), passing on higher ranked players like CB Marlin Jackson, or OT Adam Kieft of CMU. LATER ROUND GEMS: The Panthers’ draft was top heavy, which is fine if they can sign their top picks, but we still like one particular choice in the later rounds. Keep an aye on Wisconsin safety Jim Leonhard, taken in the 7th round. This guy is all motor. His skill set is not pro-ready, but there are flashes of potential in his film. What is clear from his time in Madison is that this guy has heart and a drive that won’t quit. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS FIRST ROUND: The Boats picked third and we all knew it had to be either WR or HB to help Coach Mora rebuild an offense that collapsed. They did not disappoint, but they did surprise a few pundits. Having their choice of both Auburn halfbacks, the Showboats did not go with the general consensus pick of Ronnie Brown, but instead opted for Cadillac Williams, a top tier back in his own right. What made them pick one over the other? Many are saying it was signability, with Williams looking more favorably on the USFL or on the ability to stay in the region with a southern city as his home. The back, a Gadsden, Alabama native, grew up with the Memphis-Birmingham rivalry in his blood, so playing for the Showboats, while perhaps annoying to his many Stallion fan relatives, could be very appealing. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: The Showboats doubled down on the much-needed HB position by drafting Louisville’s Lionel Gates with their first T-Draft pick. We like Gates as an option, though not likely a starter, especially if Williams signs. The other interesting choice was another Cardinal, Louisville safety Kerry Rhodes. Rhodes has some issues with pass coverage, often going for the big play at the expense of the sure tackle, but he has speed and is an aggressive player, something Jim Mora likes. LATER ROUND GEMS: Our favorite late round pick for Memphis is 5th round tackle David Stewart out of Mississippi State. Another local kid who is thrilled to have a chance to play close to his family, Stewart is a traditional run-blocking right tackle type, perfect if the Showboats are going to showcase the run game, something they have been unable to do in years. OAKLAND INVADERS FIRST ROUND: The Panthers ended up with this pick at #4, but Oakland, thanks to their trade with Texas, ended up as the actual #1 overall pick. Not in the QB market after trading for Joey Harrington and with Trent Green already in house, the Invaders hoped to add some defensive muscle at #1. They passed on the aggressive LBs and went for the best receiver in the eyes of most pundits, Michigan’s Braylon Edwards. Edwards will challenge Plaxico Burress for the top spot if he signs with the Invaders, giving Oakland a duo that is capable of winning 50/50 balls, going deep or over the middle, and providing opposing defenses with an impossible choice on who to cover. Rumors had been that Oakland would draft Texas HB Cedric Benson here, but when Michigan passed over Edwards in the T-Draft, it meant Oakland had the big receiver as an option. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: Having traded their top pick to Texas (Aaron Rodgers), the Invaders opted for HB J.J. Arrington out of Cal (another reason Cedric Benson did not go #1 overall) and then guard Logan Mankins out of Fresno State. Both could be nice additions to the Invader offense. LATER ROUND GEMS: While not exactly a late round choice, we love the pick of Colorado State TE Joel Dreeson in the 2nd round. Both Trent Green and Joey Harrington tend to move quickly from their primary receiver to a drop down option, and with Christian Fauria now a member of the Las Vegas Thunder, a quality TE was essential for the Invaders. LAS VEGAS THUNDER FIRST ROUND: Speaking of the Thunder, they did not stop with signing a top TE in free agency, they added another weapon for Coach Jerry Glanville and OC Jim Tiller to put into what we expect to be a wide open offense. With the #5 pick, the Thunder went a bit off the predictions that had QB Alex Smith possibly going here, and chose South Carolina speedster Troy Williamson. Williamson could be an immediate fit at the slot, with Muhammad and Hatchette outside. Now, if Las Vegas only had a QB, this offense could be scary. We are not sure if Coach Tiller just loves Aaron Brooks as a prospect in the position, but the Thunder did not sign a veteran to challenge Brooks, and did not draft a QB until the last round, when they took Brock Berlin from “the U”, who we don’t see as a starter anytime soon. So, who will throw the ball to Williamson, a question he and his agent are likely to ask of the Thunder. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: Las Vegas retained Oregon and picked up BYU in the T-Draft reshuffle of protected schools this year, and while we like the choices of LB Brady Poppinga (BYU) and WR Marcus Maxwell (Oregon0, we are still trying to figure out why they did not protect and pick guard Adam Snyder, as O-line has been a concern for the Thunder. LATER ROUND GEMS: We mentioned the Brock Berlin pick, and he is clearly a project for Joe Tiller, but the best later round pick in our minds is that of guard Will Svitek of Stanford. I guess his selection is the reason why Vegas did not go for Snyder in the T-Draft. Svitek is a solid performer and by all accounts a very smart player. Will he take his chances with the Thunder, or is he headed to the NFL? That is a question the Biochemistry major at the Pac-10’s Harvard has to answer. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS FIRST ROUND: Having dealt with their QB crisis in the T-Draft, selecting Auburn star Jason Campbell, the Stallions did not double down by selecting Alex Smith here, a move that started to clearly worry the Smith camp, as he was expected to be a Top 1-2 selection and was passed over by #6. The Stallions instead continued to try to deal with the departure of Deion Sanders, who just won a Summer Bowl title in his first season in New Jersey. Adding West Virginia CB Adam Jones in the first round of the Open Draft. Jones has all the skills you want, and could be a shut down corner. “Pac Man” as he is known, has some off-field issues, which might worry Coach Franchione, but on the field he is dynamic. Expect to see him on special teams and in the nickel at first, if he signs, and if he does not win a starting spot right out of the gate. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: Picking Jason Campbell, who seems amenable to staying in Alabama to play pro ball, all but ended any speculation on Alex Smith coming to the Stallions. If Campbell signs, he comes to camp as the clear frontrunner to be the starter from day one. After all, no one in Birmingham really wants to see the Stallions roll out Eric Zeier or Danny Kanell on opening day. LATER ROUND GEMS: The Stallions have a pretty good track record for finding talent in the later rounds, and we think they have hit on another sleeper in Alabama OT Wesley Britt. They did not opt to sign Britt in the T-Draft, but were able to pick him up early in the 6th round. He was not a full-time starter for the Crimson Tide, but when he did play he showed talent in the run game. A bit of seasoning and we could see him contributing for the Stallions. ORLANDO RENEGADES FIRST ROUND: Alex Smith could stop sweating, when the Renegades, with the 7th pick, brought his name up to the podium. After trading away Joey Harrington, the speculation was that Orlando was going to go after veteran Brian Griese, but when Griese signed with the Panthers, it seemed clear that Orlando had to look for a QB in the draft. Many had them waiting until the 2nd round and looking at a prospect like Akron’s Charlie Frye, but the front office decided to go for the home run and draft Smith in the first round. Now we wait and see what the NFL does. If Smith falls in the NFL draft, Orlando and Coach Thomas have a good shot at signing him, but if he is a top 5 pick, with the guaranteed money that entails for an NFL draftee, Orlando could be looking at another season with Jeff Blake or Koy Detmer under center. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: The ‘Gades focused on defense with their three T-Draft picks. We love the potential of first pick LB Channing Crowder of Florida. He is a solid linebacker from a big program, used to taking on the best running backs the SEC can throw at him. CB Justin Miller of Clemson is another solid defensive player, one who could have been a 2nd round pick had he been available in the Open Draft. LATER ROUND GEMS: Talk about a longshot, that is what USC’s Matt Cassel is. Not even a starter for the Trojans, somehow Cassel got the eye of scouts and Orlando used their last pick to select the QB, who is almost certain to be on the practice squad this year. But, hey, if Smith does not sign with the ‘Gades, Cassel could be the #3, which keeps him on the practice squad, but lets him dress for games and potentially see some mop up action, just like his time at USC. PHILADELPHIA STARS FIRST ROUND: After going defense with their T-Draft, Philadelphia addressed another huge area of concern, the receiving corps, with their #1 pick. Steve Smith and Amani Toomer are solid, but the Stars needed an inside option, and Roddy White of UAB seems perfect to be that 3rd option for the Stars. Stars fans were, of course, giddy to watch Alex Smith fall, hoping he would be here at #8, but Orlando crushed those dreams. White is a very good receiver, and should fit well into Jim Harbaugh’s offensive scheme (what little we know of it), but the question still remains, who is going to throw him the ball? We suspect that there is a plan to snag an NFL QB when the transfer window opens up, because they did not draft anyone at the position, and there is no way they go with either Will Furrer or David Garrard as their starter. So, will it be Vinny Testaverde or recently released former Super Bowl MVP and failed NY Giant QB Kurt Warner? That decision could be the difference between White signing with the Stars or going to the NFL himself. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: Philadelphia always suffers in the T-Draft when Penn State is not producing top flight players. They got a bit lucky this year in that the protected team reshuffle allowed them to land Iowa as another option. From that pick came DT Jonathan Babineaux, a very interesting prospect from the Hawkeyes, who are always well coached and ready for the pro game. But, don’t pass on another defender, this one from in town at Temple, as LB Rian Wallace could very well make this squad if he signs with Philly. LATER ROUND GEMS: Not a lot to be excited about in the later rounds for Philly. WR Rasheed Marshall from West Virginia is a bit of a reach in round 5, and OT Doug Nienhuis from Oregon State will have to battle to make the team as the 7th round pick. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS FIRST ROUND: Don’t ask us why Birmingham passed on Auburn CB Carlos Rogers and then went out and drafted a CB in the first round. Maybe they just liked Pac-Man Jones’s skill set better. Good news for LA, it meant Rogers was available at the #9 pick. The Express have most of their needs on the defensive side of the ball, and if Rogers signs with them he could very easily find himself lined up opposite 35-year old Aeneas Williams, and maybe only 1 season away from taking over from Williams as the #1 CB. That may be an attractive prospect for the young corner out of Auburn. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: When you have USC and UCLA in your protected camp, you are always going to find talent to pick. This year, LA stuck with those two schools (sorry San Diego State players), selecting UCLA’s Tab Perry (WR) and Manuel White (FB), but the most interesting pick was USC’s Lofa Tatupu, and not just because the Samoan’s name is fun to say. The son of former NFL halfback Mosi Tatupu, Lofa has skills, and has the spirit of a warrior. He could be a real find for the Express. LATER ROUND GEMS: Our favorite later round pick for LA is not going to get his name called on the TV broadcast, but OT Erik Pears could have the potential to be a starter with just a bit of seasoning. The Colorado State prospect, taken with LA’s final pick (153rd overall) is strong, like farmer strong, but he needs to work on technique if he wants to stay at LT. We could see him as a right tackle more quickly. BALTIMORE BLITZ FIRST ROUND: The Blitz would have picked here but they had traded away the choice to Michigan last year, so no first rounder for the Blitz. We still want to review their draft, so we put them here, in the spot where Michigan had their 3rd pick in the Top 10 (amazing!). Baltimore’s top pick, in round 2, was Missouri DT Atiyyah Ellison, a player most figured as a 4th rounder, perhaps mid-3rd. We are not sure why the Blitz felt they had to reach to land Ellison, but the early draft of the DT almost certainly means he will sign here, instead of for the NFL, where he still retains a mid-round rating. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: Baltimore’s draft gets even weirder when you realize they did not opt to protect LB Shawne Merriman, who ended up being a Top 5 pick. They went with Va Tech CB Eric Green with their first pick, then added Maryland CB Domonique Foxworth, and Va Tech safety Vincent Fuller. Guess Coach Coughlin is really concerned about the secondary. LATER ROUND GEMS: There is a lot to critique about Baltimore’s decisions this Draft Week, but landing WR Craphonso Thorpe in the 4th round is not one of the bad choices. Baltimore needs WR help and while he is not a 1st round talent, it is bizarre that Thorpe fell this far. He will make plays for the Blitz. JACKSONVILLE BULLS FIRST ROUND: While the fans of the Bulls in Tampa, where this year’s draft was held, clearly wanted the Bulls to snatch up Auburn HB Ronnie Brown, the team felt otherwise. Rather than throw Sedrick Irvin to the curb, they drafted a player who would help QB Jake Delhomme instead. Arkansas wideout Matt Jones was a surprise pass-over by Memphis in the T-Draft, but did not get bypassed by the Bulls. Jacksonville, having already signed Donald Hayes away from New Jersey, continue to try to build a receiving corps for Delhomme. Jones will certainly get looks in the 1st round of the NFL draft as well, which could be a concern, because playing for Gunther Cunningham in what will almost certainly be a conservative offense, may not be what the Arkansas wideout hoped for. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: LB David Pollack is the gem of the T-Draft for the Bulls. The projected 1st rounder could be a great addition to a LB corps led by Lavar Arrington and defensive MVP Mike Vrabel. That would be quite a brutal LB group to get through. LATER ROUND GEMS: The Bulls needed a fullback, and we think they may have gotten the best one in the draft with their 6th round pick, Madison Hedgecock of UNC. A blunt force trauma waiting to happen, Hedgecock will be Sedrick Irvin’s best friend in no time. WASHINGTON FEDERALS FIRST ROUND: You knew the Feds would go defense with this pick, they always seem to go defense first. It was just a question of which position was the highest need. D-line was a safe bet, and D-line it was, with the Feds selecting Wisconsin’s big edge rusher Erasmus James. The consensus #1 DE in an admittedly off year for the position, James is a potential Week 1 starter for the Federals. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: Uva tight end Heath Miller is a solid pick up for the Feds if they can sign him. He is not the fastest, not the biggest, but he is perhaps the most well-rounded TE prospect available, so snagging him as a protected player was a good move for Washington. LATER ROUND GEMS: An interesting pick in the 7th round. Philadelphia had noted Penn State LB Cameron Wake as a player of interest during scouting, but did not select him in the T-Draft, so he was there for Washington in Round 6, and the Feds picked him, hoping he has potential to serve as a swing linebacker just behind the starting 3. DENVER GOLD FIRST ROUND: Early on it was Alex Smith who was getting nervous, and at this stage in the draft it has to be Auburn HB Ronnie Brown. After Cadillac Williams was taken by Memphis, Brown looked to Denver as the next best option, but the Gold went another way, selecting Texas’s big back, Cedrick Benson, instead of the Auburn product. Benson is a great match for Denver’s style of offense. He can be the next Harry Sydney, Rashaan Salaam, or Robert Holcombe. A big back with the ability to shed tacklers, Benson is perfectly suited for the early season snow and ice that impacts so many Gold games. Will he sign with notoriously frugal Denver? A lot depends on where he goes in the NFL Draft. The pundits say Chicago is a possible landing spot, and that would be good for the Gold, because the McCaskeys are also notoriously thrifty, or perhaps stingy is the best word, when it comes to first round pick compensation. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: We think Denver missed by not protecting TE Joel Dreessen of Colorado State, but we like the pick of Barrett Rudd, the Nebraska linebacker. Rudd could be a good addition for a Gold defense that does not need much help. LATER ROUND GEMS: An intriguing pick for the Gold, with Mark Brunell reaching senior citizen status in football terms, as Denver used a mid-round pick on a traditional pocket passer in Oregon State’s Derek Anderson. Anderson is in no way ready to play pro ball right now, but if he has a year or two behind Brunell, he could be someone to watch for in the future. NASHVILLE KNIGHTS FIRST ROUND: Seen as a bit of a reach, there is no doubt that Nebraska CB Fabian Washington is a risky pick for the Knights, but there is also no doubt that the corner position is also a position of need for Nashville. Not the best ball skills, but a physical corner who fits well with Nashville’s “take no prisoners” style of hard-hitting defense, we could see Washington being a starter, if nothing else in the nickel, this year. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: The Knights went with HB Cedric Houston of Tennessee with their first T-Draft pick, and we like the choice for them. They are still reeling from the Ahman Green departure, and while Houston is no Ahman Green he is potentially a year one contributor. LATER ROUND GEMS: Having taken Houston in the T-Draft, Nashville doubled down, taking another big back in the 3rd round of the open draft. U. of Miami star HB Frank Gore could be a steal for the Knights if they can sign him away from the NFL. The question we have is whether Gore would sign with Nashville if they sign Houston first. Could he be happy with what could be a 1-2 rotation of rookie backs instead of a shot to be a true lead back? CHICAGO MACHINE FIRST ROUND: The Michigan Panthers passed on Marlin Jackson, but Chicago did not. Jackson becomes the 4th corner taken In the first round, which says everything you need to know about how the USFL plays football. Expect Chicago to go hard on trying to sign the Wolverine corner, as they are very shallow behind R.W. McQuarters, and R.W. is 31 and slowing down a bit. Missing on this pick would not be good for a club that lives and dies on its ability to shut down opposing offenses. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: Jeff George is not going to play forever, which makes the pick of Purdue’s Kyle Orton a smart one for Coach Mornhinweg. That said, Orton is something of a George clone. Big arm, questionable decision-making with the ball. At the least it allows Coach Mornhinweg to stick with a similar offensive scheme should George go down again. Switching to Ray Lucas and his more run-pass style was clearly not ideal for the Machine last year. LATER ROUND GEMS: The most intriguing pick for Chicago, perhaps for any team in this year’s draft, is the 4th round selection of Ohio State HB Maurice Clarett. The sophomore will be the first true underclassmen taken by a USFL team in a long time. There are very clear concerns about Clarett’s readiness, but not of his football skills. Is this a steal or is this a bomb that can blow up in Chicago’s face? That is the question of the day for the Machine. PITTSBURGH MAULERS FIRST ROUND: The Maulers had an obvious need after Andre Rison took off for the NFL, and they made an obvious pick, taking USC wideout Mike Williams here. Williams can fill the Rison role very much in the same way as the departed vet. He is a good 50/50 receiver, a solid route runner, and a taller receiver, which we know Charlie Batch likes as his accuracy is not always right on target. Williams will wait out NFL offers but if he opts for the Maulers, he is almost guaranteed a chance to start the year on the field and not on the bench. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: The Maulers shied away from Pac-Man Jones, but opted to draft another WVU product with their first t-draft pick, looking for more receiver help with Mountaineer WR Chris Henry. With Pitt having few top flight players available, the other Mauler pick who could stick is Marshall LB Johnathan Goddard, though his spot on the roster will likely depend on his ability to help on special teams. LATER ROUND GEMS: The Maulers went all in on receiver, with the picks of Williams, Henry, and 2nd round choice Vincent Jackson from Northern Colorado, but later in the draft they looked at other positions, and one of the intriguing choices was HB Brandon Jacobs out of Southern Illinois. A big back who can break tackles, we could easily see Jacobs serving as a filler for those times when Terrell Davis is dealing with migraines, which seem to be more frequent in recent years. HOUSTON GAMBLERS FIRST ROUND: The wait is over for Ronnie Brown. Houston made Brown the 17th pick in the Open Draft. Another big back, which is interesting for a club that already has Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell on the roster, but too good of a back to pass up. Most folks looked to Houston to land a 3rd down back, either in free agency or the draft, but Brown is just too good of a player to pass over. The Gamblers have decent, but not great cap space. They have not spent big on free agents, so the money should be there to compete with whichever team drafts Brown in the NFL Draft, but even that is no guarantee they can land the big back. Going 17th is not going to sit well with Brown, and while that is not Houston’s fault, if he goes Top 5 or even Top 10 in the NFL draft, that could sway him towards the fall league. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: The Gamblers did not gamble much with their T-Draft picks, focusing on mid-range players like guard Dylan Gandy, WR Terrence Murphy, and DE Michael Montgomery, but they also did not have any clear top flight options from Texas A&M, Texas Tech or Houston this year. LATER ROUND GEMS: Our favorite later pick for the Gamblers is DT C.J. Mosely in the 5th. The physical DT out of Missouri is a decent pivot man, but is best suited to the 4-3 that Houston likes to run. He is not getting into the starting lineup ahead of either Richard Seymour or Leonard Renfro, but he could be a valuable rotation player for either to sub out for. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS FIRST ROUND: With all the attention around the DE position in New Orleans, folks seemed to forget that they basically did not have a center on the roster after Chukki Okobi headed to the NFL. The pick of center Chris Spencer from Ole Miss is a smart pick if not a glitzy one. He could be the starter from Week 1, although there have also been rumors that FA pickup, guard Paul Zakauskas from the Maulers, could also be moved into the pivot position. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: If there is one T-Draft player that the Breakers absolutely must sign it is DE Marcus Spears of LSU. When Phil Hansen opted to retire, it spoiled the Breakers’ plans to bring the league’s all-time sack leader to town, so now they have to move to plan B. In addition to Spears, New Orleans selected CB Travis Daniels, also from LSU, and WR Roydell Williams of Tulane. LATER ROUND GEMS: The Breakers only had 4 picks in the Open Draft due to earlier trades, so finding a gem in their late round picks is a bit tricky. 5th Rounder Jerome McCune of Louisville is a potential roster spot at LB, but mostly because of his special teams play. That is about all we can say at this point. BOSTON CANNONS FIRST ROUND: The Cannons had several players leave in free agency and through retirement, but they still looked at their offensive line and saw it as their primary area for improvement. They opted to use their first pick to address that need, selecting OT Alex Barron of Florida State. Barron projects as more of a run-blocking RT than as a pass-protecting LT, but his presence may allow Boston to move Either Stockar McDougal or Maurice Williams over to the left side, putting Barron on the right side, though we would not be surprised if Barron begins the year behind 2 year veteran Jon Stinchcomb on that side. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: Boston had an interesting T-Draft, first selecting HB Marion Barber from Minnesota as their first pick, a potential backup for Eddie George. They then turned to defense, selecting LB Pat Thomas of NC State, and finishing with safety Chris Colmer, also of NC State. And yes, both Minnesota and NC State ended up as Boston protected schools because outside of BC there simply are not schools in New England who would qualify for protected status. LATER ROUND GEMS: There are a few interesting picks for Boston after Round 1, including the selection of Toledo WR Lance Moore in the 7th round, or HB Clatrick Fason from Florida in the 4th, but the one everyone is talking about is QB Adrian McPherson of Florida State in the 2nd round. Not many had McPherson going before the 5th round, and even then there was talk of him converting to either TE or safety. We will see what Coach Fox has in mind for him when camp opens and he gets a number assigned. OHIO GLORY FIRST ROUND: Just one pick after Boston’s selection, Ohio made it back to back tackles by drafting Oklahoma’s Jammal Brown. Many pundits had figured that New Jersey would protect Brown in the T-Draft, since they had Oklahoma as a protected school, but the league champs went a different direction, leaving Brown available, and Ohio pounced on the chance to help protect their franchise QB. Like Barron in Boston, Brown will likely begin his career at RT, though in his case, he could find himself starting this year. Whether Brown remains on the right side will depend on the ongoing development of Jerry Wunsch, Boston’s current starting LT. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: To be honest, this was not a particularly deep class from Ohio State, and as we have seen for several years, as OSU goes, so goes the T-Draft for the Glory. Ohio selected only 1 Buckeye with their 3 picks, picking Buckeye CB Dustin Fox before adding Kentucky DE Vincent Burns and Cincinnati LB Tyjuan Hagler. Hagler could be a player to watch as he has a lot of athleticism but will need time to adjust to the pro game. LATER ROUND GEMS: Of all of Ohio’s picks, perhaps the most intriguing is Nebraska center Richie Incognito. Ohio desperately needs an athletic center so we could see Incognito on the field right away. Paired with Brown, Incognito could be part of a very differently arranged O-line for the Glory in 2005. SEATTLE DRAGONS FIRST ROUND: Following trades with Nashville, Birmingham, and Boston, Seattle managed to get back under the salary cap and have room to sign rookies, which is good since their trades brought them 4 more picks between this year and next. They did not pick up a 1st rounder, so the 21st pick was their only 1st rounder, and they did what most thought they would do, try to find a receiver who can be the ying to David Boston’s yang. O.J. McDuffie filled that role in 2004, but he is not a long term solution. Seattle is hoping that Georgia product Reggie Brown can be. Brown is a solid route runner, a big body, and has decent hands, all good traits for a receiver many would expect to spend a lot of time in underneath and middle-of-the-field routes. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: Seattle focused on line help with their T-Draft, first selecting OT Khalif Barnes out of Washington and then DT Bill Swancutt from Oregon State. No shame in picking players for depth, and that is what Seattle did with these picks. LATER ROUND GEMS: With several late round picks due to trades, Seattle was able to land some interesting prospects. We like 3rd round pick, LB Adam Seward of UNLV, and landing their kicker in the 7th round in Michigan State’s Dave Rayner, was essential, but the pick that could be the most fun to watch is one they got from Nashville and used to select scatback Darren Sproles of Kansas State. Sproles is tiny by pro football standards, measuring only 5’6”, but he is electric with the ball in his hands. Expect the mighty mite to spend a lot of time on kick returns, punt returns, and in 3rd down situations. TAMPA BAY BANDITS FIRST ROUND: The Bandits began the offseason with 2 first-round picks and 2 in the second as well, but after trading away one of each to acquire Ross Verba and Autrey Detson from Michigan, the Bandits ended up with a pretty routine set of picks. Having already lined up potential contributors to the club with a strong T-Draft pool, the Bandits took something of a home run shot by drafting Eastern Washington OT Michael Roos. Roos is a bit of an unknown, as he plays well outside of the bigger programs and even the higher exposure markets for smaller school players. Tampa must have seen film that showed them something in order to have Roos go well ahead of projections. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: It seems like year in and year out the Bandits have a strong pool of talent to choose from in the T-Draft, mostly due to the ongoing success of the U. of Miami program. This year is no different as Tampa Bay struggled to whittle down their choices to 3 players, two from “the U”. Safety Antrel Rolle was a pretty easy choice, but now the issue of whether or not he will sign with the Bandits becomes key. They also selected Hurricane wideout Roscoe Parrish to possibly take on a slot receiver role, and South Carolina DT Darrell Shropshire to help them with run defense. LATER ROUND GEMS: our favorite late round pick for the Bandits is another DT, Auburn’s Jay Ratliff. He only started sporadically for the Tigers, but he is a physical specimen and with the right coaching he could develop into a truly solid nose tackle. ARIZONA WRANGLERS FIRST ROUND: Arizona wanted depth on the D-line, and they think they have found it with USC DT Sean Cody (not to be confused with OU DT Dan Cody, chosen by NJ). Cody will likely sit behind Jason Peter on the depth chart, but Coach Fassel likes to rotate his line so even if Cody is also behind Kenard Lang at first, he could still see some snaps. Of course, this assumes that Cody is fine with the short trip to relocate to Tempe. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: Is Arizona preparing for Jake Plummer’s eventual retirement? That was the discussion after the Wranglers used their first T-Draft pick to select another ASU QB, Andrew Walter. Walter is a very different style of QB than Plummer (but who isn’t?), but he could be just the kind of QB Arizona can turn to if anything happens to their starter or if Plummer opts out of the last year of his contract and retires from the game. LATER ROUND GEMS: of all the later picks for the Wranglers, the one who could stand out in camp is LB Boomer Grigsby of Illinois State. Hard to say, since Grigsby has played very few games agains top collegiate talent, but what we have seen seems to indicate that he comes to the game with good instincts and a strong work ethic. NEW JERSEY GENERALS FIRST ROUND: The Quest to try to replace or at least reimagine the position that Phil Hansen owned for over a decade has begun in New Jersey. Cap issues found the league champion selling off players this year, not adding them, so the draft was essential for the Generals. They ended up with 2 first round picks thanks to their trade with Tampa Bay, so what did they do with them? “They balked” seems to be the general interpretation after New Jersey selected two players who were considered fringe 2nd round picks, much less 1st rounders. They first picked OG Nick Kaczur of Toledo. Guard was a position of need, but even so, Kaczur was not considered the best remaining guard on the board. They then made a very similar calculation, selecting safety O.J. Atogwe from Stanford with their second pick in the round. Again, a position of potential need, especially with little depth behind Anthony Becht, but Atogwe was also not considered first round grade. The joke, of course, is that the Generals were a bit preoccupied with the post championship festivities and revelries, and simply did not draft well. A more favorable interpretation is that they went for these two players primarily because they were convinced they could sign both and not risk losing out on a 1st round pick with a player who ends up in the NFL. T-DRAFT ROUNDUP: While there has been a lot of criticism of New Jersey’s open draft, their T-Draft was about as solid as a 3-pick draft can be. The Generals started by selecting Oklahoma DT Dan Cody, an athletic player who can occupy blockers or shed them and pursue a ball carrier. They followed up this pick by selecting another Sooner, wideout Mark Clayton. Clayton could see considerable action this year after the departure of Donald Hayes in free agency. They capped it off by selecting Syracuse’s Adam Terry, an interesting prospect at tackle. LATER ROUND GEMS: Our favorite late pick for the Generals is that of safety Donte Nicholson, another Oklahoma player, but one they had not protected with one of their three T-Draft picks. Clearly in visiting OU to scout players something about Nicholson stood out. With the retirement of Jason Sehorn, there will be a position group battle to be sure at safety, and New Jersey feels good that Nicholson will be part of that position group when all is said and done.

October 17, 2005 Six weeks into the offseason and the Philadelphia Stars are making huge waves. Apparently Miles Tanenbaum is looking for a fix along the lines we have seen in Tampa Bay, and he is willing to spend to make it happen. Denver too seems to be uncharacteristically on a spending spree, as the Gold and Stars are among several teams with cap-friendly situations, who are moving and shaking. Quite a few big names moving around the league, and several headed off to the NFL as well. It’s the USFL offseason and teams are gearing up for the holiday shopping season by stocking up on talent. We start with Philadelphia, who have been the story of the offseason with their new Head Coach, new superstar back, and a reclamation project they hope will help them return to prominence in the Northeast. Philadelphia Making Headlines We begin our offseason roundup with the last of the five USFL coaching positions to be filled. It took until the week after the Summer Bowl, but the Philadelphia Stars found their man. The Stars are giving a position coach with a major NFL pedigree his shot at a head coaching job, signing San Diego Chargers QB Coach Jim Harbaugh to be the next head coach in Philadelphia. Harbaugh, who is only 3 seasons out from playing QB in the NFL, becomes the youngest head coach in the USFL. After a very solid NFL career that saw him lead the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl, and also play for Chicago and San Diego, Harbaugh moved from the field to the sideline as the QB coach for the LA Raiders. After only 2 years there, he will join the USFL for the first time in his career as the new leader of one of its most storied franchises. It may be risky, but the Stars are hoping that Harbaugh’s pedigree translates to immediate rapport with players and a change in locker room culture. The Stars are clearly going all in, as they not only made one of the more surprising coaching hires, but immediately threw around some of their cap surplus to make the biggest signing of the early free agency period, landing former Knight HB Ahman Green to be the new lead back for the Stars offense. Green signed a 4-year deal with Philadelphia and is expected to immediately be a focal point for the offense. 2004 was Green’s 6th consecutive 1,000 yard season, and one which saw him reach a career high of 1,46 yards. Over the 6-year run, Green has also scored 72 touchdowns, an average of 12 per year. With Green in the fold, the Stars immediately turned around and dealt 2004 starting HB Larry Johnson, sending the 3rd year back to Arizona in exchange for veteran WR Tim Dwight and a 5th round pick. The shift from Johnson to Green is viewed as huge boost for Philadelphia’s run game, but they still needed a QB after allowing Brian Griese to go in free agency. So, in the span of a month, the Stars have a new head coach, a star at HB, and a veteran WR to play alongside Steve Smith and Amani Toomer, and they are not done yet, at least that is the sense we get from their front office staff. The QB Position remains a huge question mark for the Stars, as we doubt Coach Harbaugh is comfortable with either Will Furrer or inexperienced developmental QB David Garrard as the starter going into his first season. Just where he looks for a QB option is still very much in question. We could see him making a deal with Oakland if the Invaders are not planning on drafting Aaron Rodgers, which seems very possible, or the Stars, with an early pick in the open draft, could move up and try to land Alex Smith of the U. of Utah. Among veteran players only Brian Griese seems a viable starter, and he is certainly not returning to Philadelphia after being allowed to walk away from the Stars only 2 years after coming over from Seattle. Free Agency a Tale of Haves & Have Nots Cap room has been a huge story through the early weeks of free agency, with some teams all but excluding themselves from signing players while others have been big players in the free agent market. As we saw last year, the initial days of USFL free agency, before the NFL can get involved, are high action, with teams trying to snag players with only 23 competitors instead of 55. So, what can we say about the first weeks of free agency? These stories certainly have emerged as the ones fans are most intrigued by. Denver breaks tendencies and spends some cash. We are used to the Denver Gold being well under the salary cap, and staying there, sometimes signing for depth in free agency, but usually building through the draft. Well, throw that concept out the window as Denver signed 4 players, including three likely starters in the first days of the free agency period, and why not, with their huge cap advantage, they have the funds to do so. So, who did the Gold latch on to? They clearly looked to improve their passing game, landing a new TE to take over for the retired Marco Battaglia. Lonnie Johnson, considered the best all-around tight end on the market will now be catching passes from Mark Brunell. He is a solid run-blocker as well, which could help as Denver tries to reignite its run game. A second area of need was a speedy receiver to take some pressure off of Peerless Price, and the Gold feel that they found that in veteran J.J. Stokes. Stokes is pretty much a straight line speedster, so Denver will likely use him to go over the top and free up Price underneath. But, perhaps the biggest signing for the offense was Mike Flanagan, the big center from the Stallions who will absolutely help out the run game and is a solid pass protector as well. Throw in CB Ray Crockett and you have an impressive haul for a team that is notoriously frugal in free agency. Oakland takes a risk again Dennis Green is known as a player’s coach, and he certainly seems open to reclamation projects . First it was the trade with Orlando to bring in QB Joey Harrington (see below), and now it is the news that Oakland has come to an agreement with HB Ricky Williams, who, as of today, remains under league suspension for violating USFL drug policy. A decision on reinstatement is expected by late November, and from all accounts Williams is in good shape despite the 1-year absence, so Coach Green may have found himself a steal here. And, since we are talking about the Invaders, we should mention that they have also gone out and signed themselves a quality offensive tackle to help clear the way for their new HB, inking the top LT in the draft, former General Matt Light. The Invaders and Coach Green certainly seem to be looking for a brighter future after what has been a long run of disappointments. The Stars turn to defense After landing the biggest name in the market with the signing of Ahman Green, Philadelphia has continued to make use of their available cap space, adding two solid defensive contributors to their roster in the past 2 weeks. The first is strong safety Reggie Tongue, who, at 27, still has several years of quality play in him. The Stars then added LB Allen Aldridge from Jacksonville. The former Houston Gambler is 32, but has played well the past two years and will provide some veteran leadership. Of course the big question still remaining in Philly is at QB, but it seems that the front office is not shy about spending money, so a plan is certainly being formed. Birmingham Building a Roster The Stallions are another team with a lot of cap room and the ability to sign players, four so far, who will make an impact. No word yet on plans to replace Brett Favre under center, but we did not expect them to find their starter in free agency. The only real surprise is that the Stallions are using free agency so freely, as they, like Denver, tend to be a club that builds through the draft. Signed in the first month of free agency we have a new fullback and tight end, with contracts agreed upon with former Express FB Shawn Bryson and former Wrangler TE O.J. Santiago, two solid players who will help Birmingham improve their offense from last year. The bigger deals were on defense, however, where Coach Franchione saw a lot of room for improvement. Birmingham landed the 2nd rated defender after Phil Hansen by inking LB Ted Johnson away from Michigan. The 31-year-old is a strong leader on defense and still has some mileage left on his treads. The other signing was in the secondary, where the Stallions picked up former NFL and Chicago Machine corner James Trapp. Another veteran, the 29-year-old Trapp comes to the Stallions with significant experience in both zone and man coverage schemes. Jerry Glanville Starts forming "His Team" Coach Glanville wasted no time trying to bring in players who fit with his aggressive defensive scheme and his desire for a high-flying offense. Three big signings highlighted the early free agency period for the Thunder. On offense it was the signing of TE Christian Fauria that got fans excited, a big, agile, receiving TE, Fauria can help free up the outside receivers Matthew Hatchette and Muhsin Muhammad for new OC Joe Tiller. On defense, Coach Glanville wanted aggression and speed, and he thinks he has added both by signing the top DT on the market, Norman Hand and then adding CB Steve Israel of Nashville. Both Hand and Israel have a reputation as maulers, physical players who will battle to strip the ball from the offense and create opportunities for the D. Of course, free agency is more than 5 teams, so here are a few of the other interesting additions we have seen so far in the free agent period: Receiving HB Kevin Faulk leaves Houston for Baltimore, where he will be the lightning to Ron Dayne’s thunder. Ohio did not have a lot of cap room, and saw several players leave, but they were able to help shore up the O-line by signing Jim Pyne to a 3-year deal. Pyne comes over from Chicago, which has to sting the Glory’s top divisional rival. Jacksonville has added FS Jerome Woods (OAK) to replace the departed Joe King, and WR Donald Hayes (NJ) to possibly line up opposite Anquon Boldin. Houston has added veteran FS Je’Rod Cherry (ARZ) and RT Andre Johnson. New Orleans added former Bandit Pat Riley at DT, but is still seeking help at DE. Chicago found their “third down” back in the form of former Texas Outlaw Brian Westbrook. Washington beefed up their O-lline with guard Eric Mahlum (BOS) and then added CB Rashad Bauman to a secondary that was already pretty solid. Texas signed veteran DE Bob Kuberski to improve their pass rush. Orlando signed LB Al Wilson, guard Bobby Williams, and TE Fred Baxter And, finally, LA made an interesting deal, bringing former Oakland QB Marques Tuiasosopo in. With Cade McNown clearly the starter and Quincy Carter looking like a solid #2, the signing of Tuiasosopo seems a luxury that LA cannot really afford. While several teams helped themselves with early free agency, there were plenty of names on the table when the NFL came calling in early August. The teams of the fall league wasted no time snapping up players at every level from All-USFL to those who add depth on the 2nd and 3rd string of NFL rosters. While there were a few younger players taken, the trend of the NFL to sign established performers was again evident this year. The NFL signed a total of 39 players off of USFL rosters, but we believe these 15 are the biggest loss for the USFL: WR Andre Rison Signed by the Browns. Pittsburgh’s top receiver returns to the NFL after 7 years with the Maulers. WR Carl Pickens Signed by the Cowboys. Another quality receiver heads to the NFL. The 13-year veteran of 3 USFL teams gets his first taste of the NFL in 2005. HB Brian Mitchell Signed by the Eagles. An excellent return man and solid 3rd down back returns to the NFL after only a 3-year stint with the Seattle Dragons. SS Sean Lumpkin Signed by the Niners. Denver fully expected the 13-year veteran to retire this year, but instead he signs a 2-year deal with the NFL. FB Zach Crockett Signed by the Dolphins. After moving from Seattle, to Atlanta, to Michigan in the USFL, Crockett inks a 1-year deal to join the NFL in Miami. G Matt O’Dwyer Signed by the Jets. New York gets the 33-year-old Dwyer only 1 year since coming to New Jersey from the Bulls. DE Matt McCrary Signed by the Oilers. After a career high 8 sacks in 2001 with the Breakers, McCrary returned to his 1-3 sack norm, and was let go by New Orleans, now signing with Houston of the NFL. SS Chris Carter Signed by the Seahawks. The Seahawks acquired the 8-year veteran of the Gamblers, and coming off a very solid 5 pick season. LB Greg Biekert Signed by the Colts. The Panthers were hoping to resign the 12-year vet to another 1-year deal, but the Colts of the NFL offered him a multi-year option. C Chukki Okobi Signed by the Chiefs. A 3-year starter in only his 4th year, Okobi was a hot commodity as his rookie deal expired. Kansas City outbid several USFL clubs for his services. LB John Holocek Signed by the Bills. The veteran LB will get his first NFL experience at age 34. SS Adrian Wilson Signed by the Copperheads. Another younger player leaving the USFL at the end of his rookie deal. Wilson started every game for Atlanta/Boston over the past 3 years but now moves to Nashville with the NFL Copperheads. FS Mike Prior Signed by the Bears. Prior began his career in the NFL, came to the USFL for 8 seasons with Michigan and Texas, and now returns to finish his career in the NFL. LB Barry Minter Signed by the Chargers. A 12-year vet with St. Louis, Los Angeles, and this past year with Seattle, Minter will give it one more season in the NFL with San Diego. QB Kent Graham Signed by the Giants. Signed by the Bandits as a rookie, it was assumed that Graham would retire a lifelong backup for Aikman and others. He opts to sign on with the Giants, where he will back up Kurt Warner. The USFL, as is typical, did not draw a ton of talent away from the NFL just as NFL teams were entering camp. Expect most USFL signings of NFL players to occur in February, when the NFL is in a position similar to the USFL right now, coming off a season with many player contracts expiring. The 4 most notable NFL signings were: QB Kelly Holcomb by the New Jersey Generals, brought in as a backup to Brady; LB Ike Reese of the Eagles now coming to Washington to play for the Federals; WR Eddie Berlin of Tennessee, coming over to play for Orlando, and OT Jonas Jennings of Buffalo, also signing with the Renegades. With the NFL-USFL Transfer Window now closed once again, the remaining Free Agents left unsigned will remain the exclusive domain of USFL squads until the 2nd phase of NFL-USFL transfer in early February. Looking at the players that remain to be selected, there is a lot of talent waiting to sign with someone. USFL Trading Block Starts Heating Up We did not see much happen on the trading block during the USFL-NFL Transfer Window, but now that it has shut, we are beginning to see some picks and players shifting hands. This will pick up over the Winter as teams prep for the Draft, but for now we can say that some teams are clearly eager to make moves. Here are the 5 most impactful trades we have seen to date, and since we already reported on the Larry Johnson trade to Arizona and the Joey Harrington deal with Orlando, we will drop those two Philly moves from our list. #5: Texas Adds Defense: LA cleared a lot of cap space, and Texas improved their defense all in one two-player trade as the Express sent both DE Justin Smith and FS Travares Tillman to San Antonio, acquiring a 2nd rounder this year (Philly’s pick which Texas had from an earlier deal) and the Outlaw’s 2nd rounder next season. The move gives LA the breathing room they needed to make some other moves, and Texas gets both a young edge rusher and an experienced safety. #4: New Jersey Clears Cap Room: New Jersey and Denver pulled off a similar picks for players cap-clearing deal, but we think Denver got an even better deal than Texas did. The Gold send two 2006 draft picks (a 2nd and a 6th) to New Jersey and acquire both LB Kendrell Bell and DT Tommy Harris. That feels almost like stealing to us, but New Jersey was so far over the cap they likely would have had to release one or both defenders anyway. A good deal for New Jersey to get something, a great deal for Denver. #3 Memphis Finds a Back: Memphis trades C Corey Raymer to LA for HB Maurice Smith. This may not seem like a huge deal, but that is just because Smith was stuck in a 3-way rotation with DeShaun Foster and rookie Mewelde Moore. He is a quality back, something Memphis needs, and for LA, they get another strong lineman to put in place alongside All-USFL talents like Alan Faneca and Jonathan Ogden. They are building the offense around the line, and this will help them be even stronger there. #2 Breakers Get an Edge: New Orleans lost 3 Defensive Ends to retirement, the NFL, and Free Agency, so that was a desperate situation. Boston had no cap room and the Breakers had plenty, so the Cannons sending DE Ty Warren to the Breakers for 2 picks (2nd rounders in both 2006 and 2007) seems like a deal that will help both teams. Warren had a very solid first season and will now get a chance to blossom in the Bayou. #1 Harrington Heads Back To the West Coast: We did not see this one coming, but it makes a good bit of sense. Oakland was hoping to add a young QB to spend a year behind Trent Green and then perhaps take over. Orlando was looking to move on from Joey Harrington. The question is what Orlando would want for the former Heisman winner. Turns out the price was rather reasonable, with Oakland sending swing tackle Langston Walker, and WR Donte Stallworth, along with a 2006 5th round pick to Orlando for the young QB. For Coach Dennis Green, the arrival of Harrington means that the Invaders have options at QB, and that Harrington will be able to learn from a solid QB in Trent Green. For Orlando, this means that Jeff Blake is currently the starter for Coach Emmitt Thomas, but we are not sure that will remain the case by March’s season kickoff. USFL Free Agents Still Looking for a Home. Before free agency we identified the top 20 free agents available, We will now refresh that list looking only at those players still unsigned and the teams that have at least shown interest. Only 5 of the original 20 remain after the initial weeks of both USFL and NFL signings, so 15 new faces are added to the list. NEW TO THE LIST: QB’s Jeff Garcia and Rick Mirer; HB Duce Staley, WRs Kirby Dar Dar, Eddie Kennison, Bobby Engram, and Robert Ferguson; DE’s Chad Bradtske and Cedric Harden; DT Leon Bender, LB’s Akin Ayodole and Chris Cowart; SS Adrian Wilson, and CB DeShea Townsend STILL OUT THERE FROM OUR INITIAL LIST: Still unsigned are DT Darwin Walker (CHI), DE Phil Hansen (NJ), QB Brian Griese (PHI), FS Joe King (JAX) and CB Ryan McNeill (ORL) Rumors have Staley possibly catching on with Arizona or Michigan, but after the trade for Larry Johnson, we are not sure if Arizona is still in the running for Staley. The big surprise is that Phil Hansen is still on the market. Perhaps his asking prices seems a little high for his age, though his production is so stellar that we don’t see how a team could turn him down regardless of what he is asking. QB Brian Griese is still hoping to be seen as a starter, but there are fewer and fewer options out there. We could see potential in Las Vegas, but Joe Tiller’s hire as OC points away from a player like Griese. Perhaps Orlando? It is hard to see where he comes in as the clear #1. We don’t doubt that the receivers will get signed, andwe are interested in seeing where FS Joe King and SS Adrian Wilson end up, because both are too good to be left out in the cold. Major Team Needs After looking at players that are in need of a club, it seems only fair that we look at USFL clubs that are in serious need of some key players. We will go position by position and look at just which teams might be looking to the Draft, the remaining free agent period, and possibly the second (and better-stocked) NFL-USFL Transfer Window to fill gaps in their rosters. QB: Typically the most obvious hole in a roster is a bad QB situation, and this year there are several clubs with major gaps. Birmingham is an obvious one after the retirement of Favre. Las Vegas has let Akili Smith go and we are not sure that Coach Glanville is confident with Aaron Brooks as the starter. Orlando is now looking at former NFL QB Jeff Blake as their current starter, so they seem another team that would be in the QB market as well. Add in a lot of teams who are hoping to sign a solid backup or a developmental pick, and we could see a lot of action on the QB front between now and February’s training camps. HB: Several teams are looking to either find a true bell cow back, or to add to a rotation of backs. Denver, for example, is looking to find a replacement for Robert Holcombe. Nashville is not likely to stand pat. Houston is in the market for sure, as is Memphis, and Seattle. There are several quality backs in free agency, but the draft may also be a focal area here. WR: Baltimore and Memphis both have to upgrade their receiving corps, and could be looking at a total overhaul if they can find the funds. Pittsburgh also is in need of help after losing Andre Rison. Washington needs a #2 opposite Deion Branch, as does Denver with Peerless Price, and Jacksonville with Anquon Boldin. Robert Ferguson is still out there as the most coveted receiver, but the draft could also provide some athleticism that just needs pro experience. O-Line: It is hard to name a team that does not need help on the O-line. Some of the biggest or most glaring needs are at guard: Boston, Jacksonville, and Ohio. The Glory also need to make some moves at tackle. Other teams hoping to land a starter at Center include New Orleans, Las Vegas and Denver. At tackle, New Jersey is certainly in the market, as are Oakland and Ohio. Edge: Another position where you can never have enough talent, but teams in perhaps most desperate need include Washington, Michigan, Houston, and New Jersey. Replacing Phil Hansen and Michael Sinclair seem especially key moves, but how do you really do that? DT: New Jersey is in some concern here after trading away Tommy Harris, but they are not alone. Memphis, New Orleans and Las Vegas are also very interested in beefing up their interior line. LB: The obvious answer here is Michigan, since they lost 2 starters to free agency. Add New Orleans, Birmingham, Arizona, and Orlando to the mix as well. The key here is that not every LB is a fit for every need, as we have to look at strong, weak, and middle linebackers as very different skill sets. DB: With what we saw New Jersey do with Deion Sanders this year, expect everyone to be seeking a shut down corner. But that is sort of like trying to find a four-leaf clover. They are few and far between. Among teams most in need of help at CB we have to list Orlando, Nashville, Oakland, Memphis, and Birmingham. At safety, it again depends on the skill set needed. For example, Jacksonville would ideally like to find a ballhawking free safety, while the biggest need for the defense Houston runs is a hard hitting, in the box Strong Safety like a Polamalu or Steve Atwater. ST: Never a high priority, but you absolutely want a kicker you can rely on and a punter who will get you out of field position hell. Really the only team desperate for a new kicker is Seattle, since Jay Feeley is gone. Philadelphia will likely have a kicker competition in camp to find a replacement for retired Jeff Jaeger as well. As for punters, expect a lot of guys to get camp invites to compete for positions in New Jersey, Jacksonville, Chicago, and Baltimore.

Summer Bowl 2004 is a week behind us, Free Agency opens tomorrow, the NFL-USFL Transfer window a week later, and then on to the draft in January. So much to consider, and with so many players either retiring or joining the free agent pool, there is no shortage of needs on pretty much every roster. We prepare for a busy offseason by looking at each club and assessing where the biggest areas of need are, and how they might try to resolve them. We start in the West and move our way east, looking at each club and what we think could be their strategy over the next 5 months. Before we look at each team’s situation, there has been some news over the past week and a half that merits attention, as it will impact how teams are handling the offseason. So, let’s bring everyone up to speed first and then look at each team’s path forward. Philadelphia Interviews Two Former Players for Coaching Position The coaching search in Philadelphia is getting interesting as the Stars seem to be dipping into the young turk section of the coaching ranks, speaking with two former pro players who are both now coaching for a potential leap into a head coaching position. This past week the Stars had extended interviews with former Blitz and Wrangler QB Greg Landry, who currently serves as the OC for his former club in Arizona, and with former NFL QB and current Oakland Raiders QB Coach Jim Harbaugh. Both former quarterbacks have made names for themselves in their brief time on the sidelines as innovative coaches who connect well with players, not surprising since both were charismatic leaders on the field as players. The expectation is that the Stars will be making their choice soon, as the clubs head into free agency and the NFL-USFL Transfer Window. Retirement Announcements Continue to Impact Teams We have seen the retirement announcement wave start to slow down, but not before several significant departures have been made official across the league. We start in Oakland, where two of the three HBs in the Invader stable have opted to step away from the game. Mack Strong’s retirement is not a surprise as he has been dealing with ongoing issues with both his knee and his hip. It seems those injuries are necessitating the move. What is a bit more surprising is that former Gold and last year’s lead back, Rashaan Salaam has also announced that he will step away from the game. Salaam was a reclamation project for Oakland after a pretty highly publicized incident with drugs led to his suspension and release from Denver. Last season he returned to a role as lead back for the Invaders and had moderate success, rushing for 762 yards and a 3.9 YPC average. Another potentially problematic retirement for his club is that of New Jersey’s combo corner & safety Jason Sehorn. Sehorn was a team captain on defense and will be missed by the league champion. In Arizona, just days after Summer Bowl 2004, we learned that lead back Stephen Davis and defensive standout, LB Winfred Tubbs, would both be entering retirement. Both are big blows to the Western Conference Champs, who finally, after years of futility, developed a run game based on Davis as the lead back. So it may be back to square one for the Wranglers run game. Other retirement announcements this week include Baltimore TE Jay Riemersma, Birmingham CB Torey James, Boston TE Chris Gedney, Jacksonville guard Mike Verstegen, Las Vegas wideout Patrick Rowe, New Jersey DE Roosevelt Nicks, and Ohio WR Tyree Davis. Intriguing OC Choice for Jerry Glanville in Vegas The Man in Black has begun assembling his staff, and one choice has raised some eyebrows as Coach Glanville and the Thunder announced this week that they were signing former Head Coach Joe Tiller of Seattle as their OC. Tiller, known for wide open offenses in college, was a bit more conservative with the Dragons, but may be empowered to open things up again with the Thunder as Coach Glanville will likely leave the offense completely up to Tiller to focus on the team’s less-than-stellar defense. The question, of course, for Tiller, is whether or not Las Vegas has the personnel to run the type of wide open offense he prefers. With Aaron Brooks as his current starter (that may change), a mediocre HB group, and some aging receivers, that may be a lot to ask. TEAM PROFILES LAS VEGAS THUNDER Free Agents: TE Lonnie Johnson, DT Leon Bender, CB DeShea Townsend, WR Freddie Scott, QB Akili Smith, WR Curtis Mayfield. Retired: WR Patrick Rowe, QB Jon Stark, FB Arnulfo cowley, G Scott Connover Cap Situation: $19M-20M under the cap. Needs: Even with Aaron Brooks the likely starter at QB, potentially losing Akili Smith and Jon Stark means that QB has to be a top priority. Wideout is another, though mostly for depth behind Hatchette and Muhammad. The run game could use an upgrade, though rookie Julius Jones showed some talent. And beyond that, pretty much talent infusions across the defense and O-line. Options to Consider: The big question is how will the new ownership boost the offense. Are they comfortable with Brooks at QB, or will they make a deal to bring in another option. Brian Griese is the top free agent, but we don’t see him as a very Jerry Glanville type of QB. Could Vegas take a shot at Utah’s Alex Smith or make a deal with division rival Oakland to try to land Aaron Rodgers? For the run game, Vegas has the cap room to take a shot at either Ahman Green or Duce Staley. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS Free Agents: DT Norman Hand, FB Shawn Bryson, CB Ray Crockett, LB James Goode, C J.P. Machado, WR R. Jay Soward, QB Rob Johnson, LB John Holocek, WR Kahlil Hill. Retired: none Cap Situation: Between $7M-$8M under the cap. Needs: The Express have a pretty young roster, but are losing several solid players in free agency. The toughest to replace will be Norman Hand, so DT seems a big focus point. Linebacker is likely another. They are in a good position ,with enough cap room to deal with lower cost positions like DT and LB, but with enough for at least one big signing. Options to Consider: Hand is the best DT in free agency, but does not seem interested in a return to LA. Others to consider might be Pat Riley (TBY) or Darwin Walker (CHI). There are more options at LB, so they might try to strengthen that group in free agency and then look at the draft for a young, athletic DT, with US’'s Mike Patterson an obvious T-Draft option for them. OAKLAND INVADERS Free Agents: FS Jerome Woods, TE Christian Fauria, QB Marques Tuiasosopo, LB Scott Fujita, CB Dwayne Goodrich, WR Bucky Brooks, WR Karsten Bailey Retired: HB Mack Strong, HB Rashaan Salaam Cap Situation: Between $10M-$11M under the cap. Needs: There are obvious needs at HB after the sudden retirement of Rashaan Salaam and Mack Strong. Justin Fargas is developing but does not seem ready to be a lead back. Wideout and Tight End could also see upgrades, but, as with so many teams, the biggest question is at QB. Trent Green is a solid player, but he led the league in picks this year. Will Oakland build around him or perhaps bring in a young player to develop for a year behind Green and then take over? Options to Consider: After being burned by Carson Palmer and Philip Rivers, there seems to be a lot of concern that Oakland will draft Aaron Rodgers from Cal and then fail to sign him too. Would they trade away that pick to perhaps get a player already under contract? There have been rumors that Oakland has been speaking with Michigan about Drew Brees and with Orlando about Joey Harrington. Trading the option to sign Rodgers for a player or two, or some picks, may be the way to go. Especially if Oakland can get a HB out of the deal. SEATTLE DRAGONS Free Agents: HB Brian Mitchell, QB Jeff Garcia, LB Barry Minter, K Jay Feely, HB June Henley, DE Lorenzo Bromell. Retired: DT Kelvin Pritchett Cap Situation: $3M to $4M over the cap. Needs: Outside of Corey Dillon there is no RB group to speak of, so signing both a backup and a decent 3rd Down back is a high priority. A veteran QB to help mentor Byron Leftwich would also be a good move. Improving the 2nd WR spot could be big, but the defense is solid and talented at all 3 levels, so the Dragons can stay focused on one side of the ball. Options to Consider: The issue in Seattle is their cap situation. They could be a top seller in trades, swapping expensive players for draft picks. We expect most of their moves to be draft related, but that won’t get them a veteran QB. Can they add someone like Rick Mirer or Jim Miller to sit at #2 but help Byron Leftwich develop? ARIZONA WRANGLERS Free Agents: SS Je’Rod Cherry, TE O.J. Santiago, LB Steve Tovar, HB Chester Taylor, WR Scotty Anderson Retired: HB Stephen Davis, LB Winfred Tubbs Cap Situation: $16M-$17M under the cap. Needs: No sooner does Coach Fassel finally develop a run game in Tempe than Stephen Davis retires. Halfback will be a priority, as will TE and LB with the losses of Tovar and Tubbs. Arizona would love to be able to sign a couple of quality starters in free agency and then use the draft to build up their O-line and maybe even find a young protégé for Jake Plummer. Options to Consider: With their cap room and need at HB, we expect them to woo both Ahman Green and Duce Staley. They could also make a big push to sign a top LB in free agency, with several looking like good fits: Ted Johnson, Greg Biekert, or Al Wilson all could do well in Coach Fassel’s system. As for QB, we think a rookie, one who will sit behind Plummer for a couple of years and learn from the gunslinger. How about someone like Arizona State’s Andrew Walter (a T-Draft option) or Kyle Orton of Purdue? DENVER GOLD Free Agents: SS Sean Lumpkin, LB Chris Cowart, CB Rashad Bauman, DT Mark Bouette, TE David LaFleur Retired: CB Clayton Holmes, HB Robert Holcombe, TE Marco Battaglia Cap Situation: $20M-$21M under the cap. Needs: With both LaFluer and Battaglia departing, Tight End is a key position to be sure, but Denver also lost their top HB in Robert Holcombe. Rod Smart cannot carry the load alone. And, just in case you all forgot, the Gold still have a need for speed outside, as Peerless Price is not a burner and needs a clear #2 to take away the double coverage. Add in some O-Line and D-Line pickups and Denver could be ready to make another division title run. Options to Consider: The problem with Denver having over $20M in cap room is that they are notoriously cheap. Every year they have more than enough money to add 3-4 high price free agents, but they never seem to do it. Will this year be any different? Will they go after Ahman Green or settle for a cheaper rookie option at HB? Will they spend to sign Lonnie Johnson or Christian Fauria at TE, or go for a less expensive option like a Bradford Banta or Itula Mili? Fans want the Gold to go big, but ownership rarely seems willing to do so. HOUSTON GAMBLERS Free Agents: HB Kevin Faulk, SS Chris Carter, G Matt Lehr, DTChad Eaton, TE Kevin Landoldt Retired: CB Vince Buck, G Joe Patton, QB Doug Flutie Cap Situation: $12M-$13M under the cap. Needs: Finding a good 3rd down back for Coach Phillips will be a priority. Assuming Matt Hasselbeck’s recovery is going well, QB will not be a focus. We expect Houston to focus on depth and perhaps a bit of an upgrade in pass protection, but they could also legitimately play the “Best Player Available” strategy in the draft. Options to Consider: Unlike Denver, the Gamblers do tend to throw money around and make splashy signings. Problem is, they don’t have splashy needs. They can be frugal, sign some key depth players, and maybe just one impact player on offense and be fine. Their T-Draft pool is pretty weak, so we think they might focus attention on the open draft. We love the idea of Houston signing a top flight pass-rushing LB like DeMarcus Ware or Shawne Merriman. TEXAS OUTLAWS Free Agents: WR Carl Pickens, HB Brian Westbrook, FS Mike Prior, WR Kirby Dar Dar, TE Roland Williams, LB Mike Stonebreaker Retired: DE Tony Hill, LB Stephen Boyd, QB Billy Joe Tolliver Cap Situation: $20M-$21M under the cap Needs: Texas is an interesting case. They have a new head coach with a college background, so they may look at defense first, and they certainly lost a lot of talent there this offseason, but there is also a growing concern that Jeff Lewis is just not good enough to help them win consistently. Could they be an early contender for Alex Smith in the draft? Options to Consider: The Alex Smith question is a real one for the club. If they sign significant defensive help in free agency, that could be a sign that they are taking a hard look at QB in the first round. If not, then perhaps defense or WR, since they have to replace Carl Pickens. They have the cash to make a case to either Andre Rison or Robert Ferguson if that is what they want to do. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS Free Agents: C Mike Flanagan, TE Fred Baxter, FB Paul Williams, TE Itula Mili, WR Isaac Byrd Retired: QB Brett Favre, LT Richmond Webb, CB Torey James Cap Situation: $14M-$15M under the cap. Needs: With the retirement (out of spite?) of Brett Favre, the need in Birmingham is clear. No way do they want to go into the season with Danny Kanell or Eric Zeier as their number one. And with no top flight free agent QB’s out there, they have to either hope the NFL has a top QB unsigned by February or look at the draft. Options to Consider: The Stallions have one potential prospect in their wheelhouse, as QB Jason Campbell of Auburn will be in their T-Draft pool. They certainly would not make fans in Alabama angry if they could sign Campbell, but can he help them win? And, with Richmond Webb retiring, can Birmingham nab a quality left tackle to protect him if they do sign the rookie? This is a very weak pool of tackles, but New Jersey’s Matt Light would be a solid pickup if they could land him. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS Free Agents: SS Reggie Tongue, HB Tony Carter, DT Howard Green, QB Gino Torretta, WR Tydus Wynans Retired: CB Darrien Gordon, HB Dorsey Levins, LB Jim Schwantz Cap Situation: $15M-$16M under the cap. Needs: Memphis lost some real quality in Tongue, Levins, Schwantz,and Gordon. That is four different positions to rebuild, while also trying to address a serious lack of talent at wideout. Receiver has to be a focus area, and HB as well. The Showboats were designed to win with offense, so unless Coach Mora thinks the D is ready to become dominant, they need to rebuild that offensive team. Options to Consider: Memphis could make a play on one of the big free agent halfbacks, but if we were them, we would draft a HB and spend the money to sign Andre Rison, Robert Ferguson, or even 33-year old Carl Pickens. The Showboats cannot go into next season without at least 1 new receiver, and more would be better. NASHVILLE KNIGHTS Free Agents: HB Ahman Green, CB Steve Israel, G Bobby Williams, DE Chad Bradtzke, LB Greg Favors Retired: CB Otis Smith, LB Kevin Hardy Cap Situation: $13M-$14M under the cap. Needs: Cornerback and linebacker need attention, but there is no bigger need than finding a primary back who can come close to the numbers that Green put up. His refusal to resign with Nashville was a huge blow, and they need to figure out an alternative, because Todd Collins is not a “carry the team on his shoulders” kind of player. Options to Consider: Duce Staley is an option, but we think the obvious choice is for Nashville to trade up in the draft or make a deal with Birmingham to get a shot at either Ronnie Brown or Cadillac Williams out of Auburn. The Stallions don’t need a new HB, but will they make a deal to help a division foe get a player they need? That could be a tough trade to make. If that is not possible, there is always working with the Outlaws to see if a deal can be made for Longhorn Cedric Benson. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS Free Agents: HB Ricky Williams, DE Mike McCrary, C Chukki Okobi, FS greg Myers, QB Jesse Palmer Retired: DE Clyde Simmons, DE Chidi Ahonotu, G Chris Maumalanga, LB Lamar Lathon, CB Latin Berry Cap Situation: Between $17M and $18M below the cap. Needs: The Breakers relied on vets last year, and that led to a very rough retirement slate with both starting DE’s as well as a quality CB and their defensive captain, All-USFL LB Lamar Lathon all hanging up their cleats at the same time. Add to this the decision to let Ricky Williams go, and you have a pretty rough offseason in the Crescent City. Options to Consider: The Breakers have cap room, thanks to all those departures, so they had better work quickly if they want to rebuild a defense for Coach Nolan. They are set at QB and have decent receivers, so it is all about that D, and maybe getting a HB with a bit more burst than Olandis Gary can provide. CHICAGO MACHINE Free Agents: C Jim Pyne, CB James Trapp, DT Darwin Walker, HB Duce Staley Retired: HB Charles Rogers, P Nicholas Louis Cap Situation: $4M-$5M under the cap. Needs: The Machine were ready to move on from Duce Staley and feel good with Michael Turner as their lead back, but they will want to add depth behind him. The bigger issue may be at DT, where Walker’s very likely departure means they need to bring in someone who can hold the middle for them. Options to Consider: There is some talent at DT in the draft, so Chicago may be a team that sits out a lot of free agency, perhaps makes a deal to get a couple of draft picks, and then focuses on bringing in youth. MICHIGAN PANTHERS Free Agents: LB Ted Johnson, LB Greg Biekert, FB Zach Crockett, QB Rick Mirer, P James Schafer, LB Eric Hill. Retired: DE Anthony Abrahms Cap Situation: Around $12M in cap room. Needs: The Panthers tried to sign both Ted Johnson and Greg Biekert, but both have opted for free agency, so that makes LB, particularly MLB and the weakside LB, key to their offseason. The will want to bring in a veteran QB to back up Brees as well, and HB is still a possible target for them as well. Options to Consider: Bringing in a vet like Al Wilson or Donta Jones could be a good move at LB, but we could also see the Panthers coveting a rookie beast like Ware, Merriman, or Georgia’s Thomas Davis. At QB, Brian Griese could be a good option for Michigan, and he is a former Wolverine, so there is a good fan factor there as well. OHIO GLORY Free Agents: DE Cedric Harden, C Todd McClure, WR Malcolm Floyd, TE Shawn Draper Retired: WR Tyree Davis Cap Situation: $1M-$2M under the cap. Needs: Depth is the interest of Ohio coaches. They have strong starting squads across the roster, but 2004 showed that their depth was not what they needed in a long season. Problem is that they have very little cap room, even after restructuring some of their bigger contracts. They will likely have to focus on the draft as their main offseason talent sources. Options to Consider: Trading out of the first round might be a great strategy for Ohio. If they can acquire some 2nd, 3rd, and 4th round picks, they could build the depth they are hoping for. But, one player they should definitely target in their T-Draft is CB Dustin Fox of Ohio State, a position of need. PITTSBURGH MAULERS Free Agents: WR Andre Rison, G Paul Zakauskas, DE Bob Kuberski, LB Akin Ayodele, WR Eddie Kennison, HB Winslo Oliver, SS Chris Jones Retired: DT Nick Salua Cap Situation: $3M-$4M under the cap. Needs: With Nate Burleson and Antwan Randle-El as the2 best returning wideouts, it seems clear that the Maulers need to pay a lot of attention to the position. After relying on Andre Rison’s skills for several years, they need to rebuild their receiving corps. They also could definitely use help with their pass rush, especially with Kuberski likely gone. Options to Consider: The draft has several good receivers to choose from, including Michigan’s Braylon Edwards, South Carolina’s Troy Williamson, and USC’s Mike Williams, but will those players make it to the open draft? Another option might be for Pittsburgh to trade for a wideout and perhaps give up draft picks to get a guy who wants to test his ability to be a #1 instead of a #2 option. BOSTON CANNONS Free Agents: WR Robert Ferguson, G Eric Mahlum, SS Adrian Wilson, HB Verron Hayes, G Peter Campion Retired: FB Richie Anderson, TE Chris Gedney Cap Situation: Under $2M above the cap. Needs: Tiki Barber cannot be happy about losing not only his fullback, but the better blocking TE and two guards from the offensive line in Boston. The good news for cap-strapped Boston is that fullback, tight end, and guard are three of the least expensive positions in both free agency and the draft. Options to Consider: Expect Boston to bring in a veteran FB, but to use the draft for most other needs. They just don’t have the wiggle room under the cap to do much else. JACKSONVILLE BULLS Free Agents: FS Joe King, LB Allen Aldridge, FS Paris Lenon, TE Howard Bishop, CB Eric Warfield Retired: G Mike Verstegen, FB Edgar Bennett Cap Situation: Around $6.5M left under the cap. Needs: While some fans might want Jacksonville to make a splashy QB or HB move, the real need for the Bulls is on defense, where they lost several starters this offseason. Both free safeties leaving in free agency is a weird quirk of the Bulls’ roster, but one they have to fix and fix fast. Options to Consider: The good news for Jacksonville is that FS has a few options in the free agent pool, even if Joe King does not want to return. The Bulls could target Jerome Woods (OAK) or Mike Prior (TEX) and they would be happy with either. They also need to try to find some upgrades or at least some depth on both the offensive and defensive lines. A nice receiver to line up opposite Anquan Boldin would not be a bad move either. ORLANDO RENEGADES Free Agents: DE Corey Sears, LB Zach Thomas, TE Tyrone Davis, WR Reidel Anthony, HB Shyron Stith Retired: None Cap Situation: Somwhere around $10M in cap room. Needs: The defense lacked punch last year, but so did the offense, so what do you do if you are Orlando? We know one thing is to potentially move on from Joey Harrington. The rumors are that he is on the trading block and that Orlando will try to get a rookie QB to sit behind Jeff Blake for a year. But will they find a taker for Harrington? Other than that, their cap room makes them a mid-range player for free agent talent. Options to Consider: First off, we think that Joey Harrington still could develop into a quality starter, so who is in a position to take him in? Texas? Oakland? Arizona? Maybe even Chicago? Think of teams with older QB’s who may be willing to spend a year rehabbing Harrington’s confidence. As for who Orlando could target, Oakland has the option on Aaron Rodgers, Birmingham on Jason Campbell, or perhaps someone like Texas would be open to trading Jeff Lewis. There are options if the price is right. TAMPA BAY BANDITS Free Agents: DT Pat Riley, OT Andre Johnson, TE Bradford Banta, QB Kent Graham, HB Tony Vinson, CB Jeremy Lincoln Retired: SS LeRoy Butler Cap Situation: Just about $9M in cap space after several cuts and reconfigurations of bonuses. Needs: The Bandits had few gaps last season but LeRoy Butler’s retirement certainly creates an obvious one. We fully expect either Joe King (JAX), Jerome Woods (OAK), or Mike Prior (TEX) to be wearing a Bandit jersey next year. Bradford Banta seemed poise to become the starter over Jeremy Shockey at TE, but he is now a free agent. Tampa still has Shockey and 2 young TE’s on the squad, so we are not sure if they prioritize the position or not. Options to Consider: If Tampa Bay does decide to sign a quality TE, they have a few to choose from, including Las Vegas’s Lonnie Johnson, Arizona’s O.J. Santiago, and Oakland’s Christian Fauria. But with Strong Safety being the biggest issue, we expect Tampa Bay to make a major push for either Je’Rod Cherry (ARZ) or Sean Lumpkin (DEN) as a replacement for Butler. If not, then they do have the rights to U of Miami product Antrel Rolle in the T-Draft. BALTIMORE BLITZ Free Agents: WR J.J. Stokes, WR Bill Schroeder, G Kaulana Noa, DT Alan Harper, DE Grant Wistrom, HB Marcel Shipp Retired: T Blake Brockermeier, TE Jay Riemersma, WR Rob Moore Cap Situation: Just under $8M in cap space. Needs: Wideout, wideout, wideout. The Blitz have only 3 left on the roster and none are true starters. They could also upgrade several positions on the roster, as overall their talent level was not up to snuff with others in their division, but it has to start at wideout. Options to Consider: Can Baltimore entice Andre Rison to town? What about Robert Ferguson? And who would be best suited to the offense that Tom Coughlin wants for QB Ben Roethlisberger? We could see Baltimore be a player in the WR hunt, but they could also use a pretty early pick to trade down in the draft and stock up in the mid rounds, hoping to find a diamond in the rough in a pretty deep WR pool. NEW JERSEY GENERALS Free Agents: DE Phil Hansen, LT Matt Light, WR Donald Hayes, QB Todd Boumann, G Matt O’Dwyer Retired: CB/S Jason Sehorn, DE Roosevelt Nicks Cap Situation: About $3M over the cap. Might have to dump some salary. Needs: You cannot replace Phil Hansen. So what can New Jersey do? They can shift their D-line to support Sean Ellis and hope that they can get a solid run/pass dual skill DE opposite Ellis. That may be the best path since Hansen is almost certainly out of their limited price range. The Generals also need to figure out where to find some O-line help if they lose both Light and O’Dwyer, which seems very likely. Options to Consider: The league champions are not in a situation like many title winners, where their entire roster is going to be picked apart in free agency, but they are likely to be weaker in the O-line as well as losing their star DE. So, what to do? They could shoot for Oklahoma’s Dan Cody, and perhaps pair him with a veteran signing like a Bob Kuberski or Cedric Harden. That would be a lower cost option. PHILADELPHIA STARS Free Agents: QB Brian Griese, LB Sam Rogers, WR Bobby Engram, DE Cedric Scott, WR Chris Brantley, SS Yeremiah Bell Retired: K Jeff Jaeger Cap Situation: $17M in cap room is a good place to be. Needs: While there is need to upgrade in several areas, Philadelphia is clearly looking at two key offensive skill positions, QB and HB. We expect them to spend big bucks to reinvent their offense, having let Brian Griese go and being clearly unimpressed with Larry Johnson’s first two seasons as a Star. HB is pretty obvious. If they can get into the Ahman Green sweepstakes, they have the money to land the league’s rushing champion. But QB is a tougher nut to crack. Where will a quality starter who can produce results come from. Is that Akili Smith? Does not seem likely. Options to Consider: If we were the Stars, we would be all over Ahman Green’s agent to try to sign him on Day 1. We would then be looking at who could use an early draft pick and would be willing to trade a QB to get it. Either that or take a risk and try to draft and sign Alex Smith out of Utah. But with only Will Furrer and untested David Garrard on the roster, that seems very risky to us. WASHINGTON FEDERALS Free Agents: LB Al Wilson, WR Bobby Shaw, G Tuten Reyes, T Kris Farris, LB John Rutledge Retired: DE Tony Brackens, DT Reggie Rogers, LB Bobby Hamilton, QB Scott Zolak, TE Jamie Asher Cap Situation: Just under $16M of cap room, quite a bit for a team that is usually conservative with $$$. Needs: A backup for Kordell Stewart would be good, but more important is trying to shore up that D-line after the retirements of Brackens and Rogers. Replacing Bobby Hamilton with an athletic, speedy LB could also be a good move for a Washington team that slipped to mediocrity last year. Options to Consider: DE Erasmus James of Wisconsin is now within Washington’s T-Draft pool, so they should absolutely work to sign him. They could also improve at TE with Uva’s Heath Miller at that spot. That means that they will have funds for a DT, and maybe a LB in free agency. We also expect the Feds to add a young QB to sit behind Stewart and veteran Jon Kitna. Jared Lorenzen was a fun pick last year, but is he really an option for the Feds, even if he has lost weight?

The mental gamesmanship surrounding Summer Bowl 2004 began long before both teams entered the Citrus Bowl on Sunday. That is not abnormal for a championship game, though usually it is Media Day on Thursday that produces the bulletin board quote that inspires a team, or the flub that reveals something the coaches did not want known. This time it came two days earlier, when New Jersey, as the team with the better regular season record announced their decision to wear their road white uniforms instead of the traditional home look chosen by the top seed in nearly all Summer Bowl games. The move gave New Jersey an edge in two ways, first, wearing white on a hot Florida July evening is sure to help the Generals deal with the heat, though with a 7pm Eastern kickoff, and with the temperatures in Orlando expected to be a reasonably moderate 82 degrees, this does not seem essential. The second is that it forces Arizona to wear their red jerseys. Arizona always wears white at home, and in about 90% of games on the road as well, since many teams prefer to wear their dark jersey for home games. That fact has produced a bit of a legend, a jinx, you might say, associated with the rarely worn red jerseys. Was it an intentional effort to take Arizona off their game? We certainly would not put that past Coach Parcells, who was very tight-lipped about the decision, but who always seems to have a trick up his sleeve. At the very least it forced Arizona to spend the next 5 days answering questions about something as silly as a perceived jinx, or New Jersey’s disresepect, or just the weather. Did it affect the game? Certainly not once the pads were on and the blows started being delivered, but you never know how a distraction could impact a game. Both teams entered the game glad to be done with the weather issues that impacted both Conference Title Games, Arizona dealing with 103 degree heat and New Jersey with a nearly 90 minute halftime caused by lightning near the stadium during a late afternoon thunderstorm in Tampa Bay last week. The Generals stayed in Florida for the week, training at Florida International University, while Arizona took their squad up to Northern Arizona University to train in somewhat cooler environs ahead of the game, arriving in Orlando on Wednesday night. When the game started, both teams were happy that the forecast had stayed true, and it was 82, with a decent cooling breeze. After the fanfare of the National Anthem, sung by Florida’s own Gloria Estefan, and the traditional flyover, with jets coming in from McDill Air Force Base, it was time to kick things off. Arizona won the toss and, rather than differ, opted to go on offense to begin the game. The Wranglers took the ball on the 25 after the opening kick from Ryan Longwell sailed out of the endzone. Jake Plummer led the squad out, and began the action with a play-action pass to TE Matt Cushing. Cushing had been listed as doubtful for the game, but would end up playing 33 snaps on offense. The game had begun, but in their first drive the Wranglers quickly faced a 3rd and 11 after a holding call wiped out a 7-yard Davis run. Plummer used the opportunity to take a deep shot to Larry Fitzgerald, avoiding Deion Sanders on the other side. The Ball sailed just a bit too far and Arizona was forced to punt. New Jersey had similar luck in their first drive, as Arizona’s linebackers limited Curtis Enis to only 2 yards on 2 carries. A third and 8 pass to Donald Hayes went for only 7 yards and New Jersey had a quick three and out. And so it would be for the entire quarter, with both teams trying to establish the run, with middling success, and both taking occasional shots, but missing as the defenses held their ground. It would not be until the final drive of the quarter, one that extended into the 2nd period, that we would see the first points of the game. Arizona received a punt from Josh Miller and got a solid 11-yard return from Nate Jacquet to set up with the ball on their own 48. The drive reached the New Jersey 22-yard line before a missed connection on 3rd and 5 forced Coach Fassel to send out Rob Bironas and the field goal team. Bironas connected on a 39-yard kick and Arizona had the early lead with a minute and a half gone in the 2nd quarter. New Jersey’s turn with the ball, and the Generals would also find success with their first drive of the quarter. The Generals took the kickoff at the 5 and Tay Cody returned it to the 27 yard line. No sign yet that New Jersey would put Deion Sanders back to field kicks. Tom Brady and the offense put together a solid drive, relying on short passes, a nice screen to Enis on 3rd and 6 that went for 15 yards, and a couple of James Jackson runs that helped put the ball right on the edge of the red zone. On first and 10 from the 20, Brady would fake to Enis and roll slightly to the right side. He quickly spotted WR Jerome Pathon on the right sideline and connected with the lanky receiver for a nice back shoulder catch. Pathon would spin out of the tackle from Drakeford and into the endzone to put New Jersey up 7-3. That score would hold into halftime as Arizona managed to move the ball into field goal range, but Rob Bironas missed left on a 39-yard attempt, one he normally would make based on his performance this year. The missed kick sent Arizona into the endzone down 4. The analysis was that the New Jersey secondary, with help from their pass rush, was making it difficult for Arizona to make the big plays that they often relied on to gain large chunks of yardage. They would have to be patient and slowly move the ball, But, they were down only 4 points at the half, and New Jersey had also found it difficult to sustain drives against the Wrangler D. As the fans in the Citrus Bowl watched what felt a bit like a Girl Power halftime show made up of performances by Pink and Jennifer Lopez, the players hydrated, talked strategy, and got no small chewing out from Coaches Fassel and Parcells. Intensity was a theme in both speeches, and both teams came out for the second half fired up to turn the heat up on the opposition. New Jersey received the opening kickoff, and they found immediate success on a pair of short routes, the first a slant to Terry Glenn, and then a crossing route that turned into a 21 yard gain for Pathon, the TD scorer. In 7 plays they had the ball at the Arizona 11 yard line and it looked like they would take an 11-point lead, but the Arizona defense led the league in takeaways this season, and they got one right when they needed one. It was WR Donald Hayes who was the victim of the game’s only turnover, as a short hook route produced a catch, but as Hayes turned around, CB Philippi Sparks swatted at the ball, and it slipped out of Hayes’s hands. Sparks pounced on it. Hayes emphatically demanded that it had been an incomplete pass and not a completion with a fumble, Coach Parcells called for a review, but the call on the field of a fumble stood. Arizona ball on their 5-yard line. The Wranglers would hand off three times, trying to push the ball out of the shadow of their goal line. They would net only 7 yards on three carries, and they would have to punt. They got a good roll on the kick and the ball came to a stop on the New Jersey 39. Once again the Generals would begin a drive hoping to increase their lead. This time there would be no turnover, and once inside the red zone, Tom Brady would connect on his second of three TDs on the day, this one to his favorite red zone target, TE Anthony Becht. Arizona had dodged the bullet once, but New Jersey had shown that their patient offense could get the ball into the endzone. Up 14-3, they kicked off to Arizona with just over 3:30 left to play in the third. Arizona would feel a sense of urgency as they received the ball. The Wranglers picked up the tempo, while still relying on short passes to move the ball. A 25-yard swing pass to Dominic Rhodes would highlight the drive, but the big play was a 3rd and defensive holding call against New Jersey that allowed the Wranglers to stay on the field despite failing to connect on the pass. With 43 seconds left, Jake Plummer connected with Tim Dwight for a 5-yard TD toss. With Moss covered by Deion Sanders and with the safety protecting against a fade to Fitzgerald, Dwight got inside leverage on Brian Dawkins and Plummer connected to pull the Wranglers to within 5 at 14-9. The Wranglers would go for two, and they would be successful as Plummer hit TE Dustin Lyman with a low pass after an effective play fake to Davis. Arizona was back within 3 and the game had shown some spark as the final quarter was about to begin. New Jersey would go 3-and-out to start the 4th, but Arizona would also struggle to keep possession, punting back to New Jersey after only 17 yards gained. The Generals would take the punt at their own 16 on a fair catch, and they would begin the slow, methodical march into Arizona territory. This was exactly the kind of drive the Generals had been completing all season long. Slow, almost plodding at times, mistake-free, and effective. A 4-yard Enis run, a short pass to Becht, a Jackson run for 6, a couple of missed passes, followed by a 12-yarder to Hayes, even a plunge for 3 yards by the fullback, Dyer. It was not a spectacular display of skill, but a simple and effective progression of plays. With the ball at the 11, Tom Brady again found a connection, this time with the club’s top receiver, Terry Glenn. Glenn would only have 5 receptions on the day, for a less than typical 63 yards, but this 11-yard strike proved essential as I put the Generals up by 10 with 6:50 to play. Arizona would now have to pick up the pace. They needed two scores and had less than half a quarter to get them. Jake Plummer would help the team along on the very first drive, a play action roll out that turned into a 7 yard scramble, one of very few Plummer runs on the day. It was followed by a 6 yard connection with Santana Moss, and then the Larry Fitzgerald show began. Fitzgerald would catch all 4 of Jake Plummer’s passes from this point in the drive, including the 2-yard slant that would pull the Wranglers back to within 3. With Deion Sanders on Santana Moss, Arizona used Matt Cushing to force safety coverage into the middle of the field, and that left Fitzgerald one on one with Mike Rumph. The tall receiver made two catches that Rumph was helpless to defend, well over his head, and another on a diving ball for a first down. On the TD the rookie made an initial outside move, and Rumph, concerned about the fade route, bit on it, allowing Fitzgerald to make the inside move and land the laser shot that Plummer had fired. Down 3 with only 2:06 left to play, Coach Fassel, a former Special Teams coach, had a tough choice to make. Kick deep and hope the defense could use its time outs and to make a stand and hold New Jersey to a 3-and-out, or try the onside kick, a move which only had a 17% success rate all season. Fassel opted to kick it away and trust his defense. First down produced a 1-yard run for Curtis Enis. Time out Arizona. 2nd down was only slightly better, 3 yards for Enis on the right side. Time out Arizona. Third and 6, would Parcells run it again, or take a risk on a pass play to get the first down and kill the clock. It meant possibly stopping the clock with an incompletion. Parcells found a middle ground, a play Arizona simply did not see coming. Lining up in the shotgun, Brady took the snap, turned to James Jackson and put the ball in his gut. But Brady pulled the ball out just as the linebackers were racing to the left to follow Jackson. He then shovel passed it to 3rd TE Sean Ryan, who was pulling to the right. When Ryan turned the corner with the ball in his hands, there was not a LB in sight. He raced 10 yards before safety Je’Rod Cherry was able to trip him up. It was a risky call by Parcells, though not as likely to produce an incompletion as a standard pass, and it had worked. New Jersey would be able to assume the victory formation and run out the clock. The Generals had won their second title, keeping Arizona from claiming their first. They had not been awe-inspiring in their performance, but they had played efficient, smart, and largely mistake-free football. Tom Brady, for his 3 touchdown performance, was named MVP of the game, Coach Parcells held aloft the Tom Bassett Trophy, and the confetti poured down in New Jersey (and USFL) red, white and blue. The Wranglers, for their part, had shown grit and heart, but could only watch as Generals’ players and their families celebrated on the field at the Citrus Bowl. And so ends another USFL season, with an elated champion, a worthy opponent, and a solid game that came down to the final minutes. Soon the attention of spring football fans would turn to the hot stove, to trades and free agent moves, but for this night, a very pleasant one in Orlando by game’s end, the focus would be on the Generals and the USFL title.

A muggy slog and a lightning storm in Tampa for the Bandits and Generals, but nothing like the inferno in Tempe where the Wranglers and Dragons battled the extreme heat as much as each other. With a game time temperature over 100 degrees, the sun could not get low enough fast enough for the Western Conference Final. Both games saw summer extremes of weather play a part, and both saw defense win the day in part thanks to the sheer strain of playing in Florida or Arizona in July. In the end, New Jersey won with defense and a methodical and patient attack, surviving a major momentum swing when the game was delayed by lightning, and Arizona won on sheer force of will and perhaps greater assimilation into desert conditions. So, we find ourselves with a Summer Bowl where defense and drive could be the keys to a title for either the Generals or the Wranglers. NEW JERSEY GENERALS 23 TAMPA BAY BANDITS 20 A game of two halves is what we had in Tampa Bay, two halves with a particularly long halftime thanks to some lightning. At one point it even seemed that Mother Nature was doing her best to help out the home team, stopping New Jersey in its tracks, recalibrating the game, and giving the home team a chance to regroup. And it almost worked. New Jersey came into this game ready to face an offense that lived for the big play. They would keep both safeties back, dare the Bandits to run the ball, and keep anyone from getting over the top. If Tampa was going to beat the Generals, they were going to have to go the long way. For the Bandits’ part, their strategy was also quite clear, limit the New Jersey run game, double team Terry Glenn, and force Tom Brady to beat them with secondary receivers. Both plans worked, to a degree, but both also fell short. New Jersey had the upper hand in the first half, that was without a doubt. Tampa Bay did not have a play over 9 yards, and while Willis McGahee was having success (on his way to a 4.6 YPC average), he did not break any long runs, and the passing game was limited to inside routes from Banta and Doering. The Bandits struggled to keep drives going, and punted on their first three possessions. Meanwhile, New Jersey’s slow and steady approach was frustrating to watch, but allowed the Generals to get into Tampa Bay territory three times in the first quarter. Each drive came tantalizingly close to producing 7 points, but each ended with a Ryan Longwell field goal. Good enough to give New Jersey a 9-0 lead after one quarter. The same pattern continued into the second quarter, with Tampa Bay frustrated at every turn, converting only 1 of 7 first down attempts. New Jersey also struggled, in part due to the conservative nature of their playcalling, but this conservative approach led to the two biggest plays of the half, both on New Jersey’s lone TD drive, and both coming off a well-executed play action. The first was a long fly pattern to Terry Glenn, good for 30 yards on a first down, the second was the first TD of the game, a good ball fake to James Jackson that pulled in the linebackers and allowed Donald Hayes to find a gap in the zone, good for a 10-yard TD toss and New Jersey’s 16-0 lead. But, just as it seemed the Generals were ready to walk away with this game, the skies opened up, the sound of thunder roared across the sky, and the first sign of lightning was visible in the distance. The Referees huddled, discussed conditions, continued play for a few more minutes, but with 1 minute left in the first half, they sent both teams to the locker rooms, and the crowd was advised to seek cover within the stadium. The half had come early. It would be almost 90 minutes, 87 to be exact, before the two teams would again take the field. The decision had been made to stop the game with one minute left in the first half and resume it as if it had come to halftime. Reasonable enough as it made no sense to bring the teams out for one minute of play only to send them back into the locker rooms again. So the game resumed with a kickoff to the Bandits, and it became immediately clear that Steve Spurrier had spent that extra time altering the gameplan. Daunte Culpepper started using his short game, not as a backup plan, but as the primary mode of attack. While one receiver, often Moss, would draw coverage deep, the underneath receivers would find open areas in the field beneath the coverage. This, paired with a greater emphasis on draw plays and screens, kept Phil Hansen and the New Jersey pass rush off their game, and would produce immediate results, a 12-play drive that brought about Tampa’s first score of the day, a Kaeding field goal. It was not much, but it was enough to begin to turn the tide. Tampa Bay’s cause was immediately aided by a defensive play when LB Zeke Moreno punched the ball out of Curtis Enis’s hands and recovered the fumble as well. 4 plays later, Tampa was in the end zone, with Karl Williams on the end of a short Culpepper TD toss. Now the score was only 16-10, and the stadium started to feel that this game could be theirs. Tampa would get the ball back to start the 4th, and they would again use short passes and draw plays to keep New Jersey off schedule. The result was a Culpepper to Doering TD that gave the Bandits their first lead of the game, 17-16. New Jersey would try to battle back, but a tipped ball found the hands of Tampa’s Moreno, the defensive player of the game, and that would lead to a Bandit field goal, extending their lead to 20-16. New Jersey would need a touchdown to win the game, a field goal would do nothing for them. And this is where fate once again seemed to step onto the field of play. New Jersey failed to convert a 3rd and 9 play and was forced to punt the ball away with only 3:03 left to play. Tampa’s Tai Streets was back to field the punt, he caught it cleanly and started up the field. But, as he tried to outmaneuver New Jersey LB Rocky Calmus, he held the ball out and Calmus’s arm clipped the ball, knocking it loose and sending it flying towards the sideline. New Jersey CB Mike Rumph, saw the ball and was able to get a hold of it just as he slid out of bounds on the Tampa Bay 48. It was the break New Jersey needed. Now they would need to go 48 yards to steal away a win that at one point seemed assured, but had slipped through their hands. On first down, James Jackson was stuffed after only a 1-yard gain, but Brady hit Patrick Hape on 2nd down for 10 yards and a first down. He then found little-used former Nebraska QB turned receiver Eric Crouch on 1st and 10 on a crossing route for 4 yards. Enis rushed for 4 more, and on 3rd and 10, Brady connected with Hape again. They were now deep in Tampa territory, but time was fleeting and the Generals only had 1 time out left. Brady tried to connect with Terry Glenn on first down, but the ball sailed too far wide. ON 2nd down he found Donald Hayes for 9 yards, setting up a makeable 3rd and 1. Enis took the dive play and gained 2 yards to give New Jersey a first down inside the 20. The Generals used their last time out, all but guaranteeing that the run game was no longer a factor. First and 10 from the 17 and Brady found Glenn on a hook route that gained 12. First down again, now on the 5, Brady tried to hit Donald Hayes in the endzone, but the ball was too high. Flag on the play. Defensive holding, which would give new Jersey first and goal at the 2 ½ yard line with 11 seconds left to play. Brady, in shotgun formation, looked for Hape over the middle, but forced the ball a bit too soon and it sailed behind the receiver and out of the endzone. 7 seconds left, 2nd and goal. Brady scanned the field, sent Donald Hayes in motion, and took the snap. Hayes cut right then left, taking not one but two corners with him, a move that left outside receiver Jerome Pathon uncovered on the crossing route. Brady hit the lanky receiver and Pathon lunged for the endzone. The referee’s arms went up, the clock stopped at 1 second, and the Generals’ bench rushed onto the field. The coaches quickly moved them back, and Ryan Longwell connected on the Pat to give New Jersey a 23-20 lead with only 1 tick on the clock. New Jersey would squib the kick, and after a few awkward laterals, Travis Prentice was tackled with the ball, ending the game and sending the New Jersey Generals to the Summer Bowl. As dejected Bandit fans left the stadium, Troy Aikman interviewed the Generals’ QB, who praised his O-line and Coach Parcells for having confidence in him when it mattered most. The New Jersey Generals would move on, having blown a 16-0 lead only to get the win with just over 1 second left to play. Call it luck, call it fate, but the rainbow that shown over the bay as the fans filed out of the Raymond James parking lot seemed to be saying that it was just another example of USFL football at its finest. SEATTLE DRAGONS 3 ARIZONA WRANGLERS 18 If the New York-Tampa Bay game was all about drama, the Seattle-Arizona game was more a war of attrition as both teams tried to cope with the stifling heat, with careless penalties, with cramping, and with defensive pressure. It was a game that lacked explosive plays, with only 1 touchdown the whole evening, but what it did have was defensive plays that killed drives. Seattle started off the game well-rested and well-hydrated. On their first drive they moved the ball well, getting down to the Arizona 22 before stalling out. They would send out Jay Feely for the game’s opening score, little suspecting it would be their only score on the day. Following this drive, both teams would struggle to move the ball into the opponent’s end. Both defenses found ways to get off the field on third down, and get back under the impromptu canopies and misters. Arizona would manage a field goal to tie the score before the half, but the halftime stats told the story for both teams. Seattle was 2 for 7 on third downs, both successful conversions on that early FG drive. Arizona was 2 of 8, with both first downs on the late drive that produced their field goal. The combined yardage for the two teams barely reached 200 yards. Halftime gave both clubs a chance to cool off in the lockerrooms at Sun Devil Stadium. The fans, also sweltering, turned to the shaded interior levels of the stadium, and the many ice cream, soda, and beer vendors around the main level, to cool off. When the second half started, both teams again seemed to have a bit more energy. Arizona got the second half kickoff, and just as Seattle had done in the first half, the Wrangler used their fresh legs to move the ball well against the defense. Jake Plummer connected with Santana Moss and the Wranglers took a 10-3 lead just 4 minutes into the second half. Seattle tried to have a drive of their own, but costly penalties forced them into a 3rd and 17, and that was the end of their drive. Arizona would go on to add three field goals over the final 25 minutes of action, each on a short drive dictated by opening field position. The Wranglers would shuttle in players, leading to Jake Plummer connecting with 11 different receivers on the day. That strategy paid off as Arizona was simply a step quicker than Seattle, allowing them to control the field position for the second half and slowly build up their lead. By the time it was 18-3 in the 4th quarter (Rob Bironas having missed on the lone TD’s PAT earlier in the game), the Dragons were spent. Coach Lewis tried putting in Jeff Garcia just to see if he might be a bit more agile than Leftwich, but he too struggled to get the offense to move. In the end, Arizona simply outlasted the Dragons and the heat to take the win. The Wranglers would be on their way to Orlando to face New Jersey in Summer Bowl 2004. They had won the division, been named top seed for the conference, and now had taken home the conference title. Not a bad first year for Coach Jim Fassel, but the season still has one week left and Arizona will not have the advantage of their scorching home field in Orlando’s Summer Bowl. Four of Five USFL Coaching Vacancies filled. This was a big week for teams in the USFL looking to sign a new head coach. We started the postseason with five clubs looking to fill the position, well, really 4 since Orlando had already agreed that defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas would step in to replace George O’Leary when he resigned. So, Thomas was officially the first hire, but this week we saw three more positions filled, two with names very familiar to those who follow football, and one with a coordinator who certainly earned his shot this season. We start with that lesser-known commodity, Boston’s OC, Brad Childress. Childress, who joined Coach Fox’s team in their final season in Atlanta, helped build the Boston offense that took the league by storm this year. He parlays that success into his first head coaching job as the new leader of the Jacksonville Bulls. Childress replaces Gunther Cunningham, who stepped down after 4 seasons in north Florida. Expect Cunningham to focus on the offensive side of the ball and to bring in a new DC to help with the defense, one spearheaded by league Defensive POTY, Mike Vrabel. Childress will have some talent to work with in Jacksonville’s offense, including QB Jake Delhomme, young wideout Anquon Boldin, and an intriguing backfield of Antowain Smith and Fred Jackson. The second position to be filled was in San Antonio, where the Outlaws went for local recognition and talent acquisition by naming former U. of Texas head coach John Mackovic as their newest coach. The Outlaws are counting on Mackovic to be a good judge of college talent, as well as to bring some offensive innovation to the Texas team. Mackovic, who came from an offensive background, has served as head coach at Illinois, Texas, and, most recently, at the University of Arizona. He does have some pro experience, having served as QB Coach for the Dallas Cowboys, and, for one year only, as the OC for the 1987 Arizona Wranglers. The third, and final, hire of the past week is probably the best known to football fans, in part because he is more than happy to talk about what a good coach he is to anyone who will listen. The man in black, the former Bandits head coach, and most recently the voice of Houston Gambler radio, Jerry Glanville, returns to coaching after a 7-year hiatus. Glanville, who last coached briefly for the Atlanta Falcons after leaving the Tampa Bay Bandits, is back in pro coaching after a short career in the broadcast booth, and appropriately enough, he goes from the Gamblers’ radio crew, to the capital of gambling, Las Vegas. Glanville will take over a Las Vegas Thunder squad desperately in need of a culture shift and a new focus. No doubt his Elvis obsession and his swagger will fit in well in Sin City, but can Glanville do what he almost did in Tampa Bay, where he built a winning squad, only to be let go a year before they peaked and won a title? Can he keep from disrupting things to such a degree that ownership feels obligated to let him go? We know he can coach defense, we think he can motivate players to excel, but can he stay focused? That seems the big question as Glanville takes over in a city already known for distraction. The hirings leave the Philadelphia Stars as the only team that has yet to hire a head coach, and while the Stars have had some folks in for interviews, there has been no indication which way the Stars will go. Owner Miles Tanenbaum has said that they want to have a coach in place as the NFL-USFL transfer window opens up, so that essentially gives Philly 2 weeks to get it done. Seattle & Tampa Bay face Player Departures After Postseason Bow-Outs With this weekend’s Conference Championship defeats, the season is over for the Dragons and Bandits, and with that reality comes the other difficult part of this time of year, releasing players into the free agent pool. The Bandits and Dragons released their lists of players whose contracts have ended and who will now be able to test the waters this offseason. Seattle is potentially losing both backup halfbacks as speedy scatback Brian Mitchell as well as June Henley head into free agency. The Dragons will also say goodbye to backup QB Jeff Garcia, LB Barry Minter, and their kicker, Jay Feely. For Tampa Bay the story is much the same. They too are losing a backup HB in Tony Vinson, and a backup QB in Kent Graham. In addition to those two, TE Bradford Banta, who had a strong Conference Title Game, DT Pat Riley, and RT Andre Johnson are expected to seek a deal on the free market. Tampa Bay also had their first retirement announcement this week as All-USFL Free Safety LeRoy Butler has stepped down after 15 seasons in the USFL. Butler, who played with all 3 Florida clubs, starting in Jacksonville, moving on to Orlando (after a brief stint in Houston) and finishing his career with the Bandits. All-USFL four times, twice with the Bulls and twice in Tampa Bay. He retires with 1,116 tackles, 31 sacks and 11 interceptions. First Trades of the Offseason We are still two weeks away from free agency opening in the USFL, but there is no limitation on trades, and we have had our first few moves as teams over or close to the cap limit try to find room to operate this offseason by offloading some pretty talented players to teams that have cap room to spare. We had two such trades this week as cap pressure forced teams to move players they likely did not want to part with. Nashville was hoping to upgrade at LT, a key if they are going to protect Todd Collins and potentially get a new running game in place after Ahman Green joined the free agent pool. They found exactly who they wanted in Baltimore’s Wayne Gandy, an elite LT whose contract was a bit unwieldy for the Blitz. Baltimore had tried to rework the deal that provides Gandy with nearly $4M a season, but he was unwilling to drop his price, so Baltimore had to deal him. They made the deal with Nashville, sending Gandy to the Knights and getting back in return a 6th round pick and backup LT Adam Meadows. Nashville, which had more than enough cap room to absorb Gandy’s big contract, gets an elite lineman, and Baltimore, with Blake Brockmeier on the roster, will almost certainly move Brockmeier over from RT and hope that either Matt Hill or Meadows can serve as a solid RT option. Boston was another team dealing with some major cap constrictions, and not a lot of good options to remedy the situation. They were able to restructure a couple of contracts, but in the end they knew they would have to part with a quality player to get within range to have funds for this offseason and the incoming draft class. The player who ends up getting shipped off is starting NT Anthony McFarland, who now becomes the newest member of Washington’s D-line. McFarland is a 28-year old true Nose Tackle who was an ALL-USFL player in 2000 and who should fit right in with Washington’s aggressive defensive scheme. This is a big loss for Boston, who will now rely on Casey Hampton to occupy the middle in their 3-4 scheme. In return for McFarland, Boston lands two draft picks, a 4th this year and another in 2006. We expect this is only the beginning as Seattle and New Jersey, the two teams most in trouble with the cap, have yet to enter the market. Even with several players scheduled to come to the end of their contracts, we will not be surprised to see major sell-offs of contracts through trades as both teams try to get themselves enough cap space to at least add a few players this offseason. They both have very deep rosters, so there are sure to be some truly high quality players departing both clubs as they try to get legal with the league’s financial crew. Only one new injury to report for the two Summer Bowl competitors, as both enter the championship game with very healthy squads. Arizona will be without OT Chad Clifton, who normally locks down the right side of the line. That may be great news for New Jersey DE Sean Ellis, who may not get the fanfare of Phil Hansen on the left side, but is a weapon as well for the Generals’ defense. Expect New Jersey to test Clifton’s replacement, Matt Anderle, with stunts, or by spreading Ellis out wide to force Anderle to stretch his positioning. Free Agents to Monitor We are one week away from the Summer Bowl, which means we are also only 2 weeks away from the opening of USFL free agency, and 3 weeks from the NFL-USFL transfer window. It seems like every year there are players who choose to decline an offer from their club and to try their luck in free agency. For many it works out very well, for a few it is a wake-up call as to how valued they are around the league. This year is no exception as we have a large pool of free agents prepared to offer their talents to the highest bidder from two leagues. Before the frenzy begins, we thought we should highlight the players we believe will garner the most attention. Here is our Top 20 Free Agents, and yes, we are including members of Arizona and New Jersey who are still without 2005 contracts. 20— Darwin Walker, DT, CHI: A solid plugger and runstuffer in the middle of the line who, at 28, could have several good years left to play. Lots of clubs looking for DT help, including Arizona, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Nashville could be interested. 19— Brian Griese, QB, PHI: The top rated QB available, and a bit of a surprise after the price Philly paid to bring Griese to town, but despite the fact that he has started in both Seattle and Philadelphia, we are not hearing a lot of excitement about him. Las Vegas is a possible destination if he is going to start. If he is a veteran backup to a young player he could end up back in Seattle, or find his way to Orlando, Baltimore, or Michigan. We could also easily see him end up in the NFL. 18— Brian Westbrook, HB, TEX: Outstanding on special teams, and a good 3rd down back for a team that likes to throw the ball but has a bruiser as their lead back. Could be a good option for either Houston or Seattle, who just lost their equivalent players in Mitchell and Faulk. 17— Mike Flannagan, C, BIR: The 2nd best center available, but 28, a possible 4-6 year plug in player who can help a lot of teams. We know Birmingham is interested in resigning him, but there is also interest in Las Vegas, New Orleans, LA, and Ohio. 16— Joe King, FS, JAX: The Jags had two solid free safeties, so it is not a surprise they opted to allow King to go for cap reasons. He will find a home (either USFL or NFL), even at age 33. Teams looking for this position include the Breakers, Invaders, Maulers, and Dragons. 15— Je’Rod Cherry, SS, ARZ: The Wranglers are trying their best to resign Cherry, but he seems to want to explore options. With only a few days before the Summer Bowl, it seems an extension is not very likely. He almost certainly will have several teams vying for his services, including the Federals, Bandits, and Gamblers, all looking to upgrade the position, although, perhaps the jubiliation of a Wranglers championship, if they can pull it off, will help him choose to stay put. 14— Norman Hand, DT, LA: A disruptive player and one who will make your edge rushers more effective by taking on multiple blockers. New Jersey is interested, but their cap issues may make that hard to set up. Texas and Las Vegas seem more likely destinations due to cap room alone. 13—Carl Pickens, WR, TEX: The veteran wideout has lost a step or two, but can still make contested catches. The Outlaws are looking for youth on offense, so they allowed him to enter the market. There are certainly no shortage of teams who could use veteran leadership at the position. 12— Brian Mitchell, HB, SEA: Another quality 3rd down back and kick returner. Don’t be surprised if he ends up with either of the other two teams who lost their parallel players, as this could just be a musical chairs situation between Seattle, Houston, and Texas. 11— Michael Sinclair, DE, HOU: Three to four years ago, Sinclair would have been at the top of our list, but any team that signs him this year is likely looking only at a 1-2 year return on investment. He can still terrorize right tackles, but he is best suited to a team that has a strong option on the left side as well, just as we saw in Houston with Kavika Pittman. 10— Kevin Faulk, HB, HOU: In our opinion, the best of the smaller, 3rd down receiving backs, but we acknowledge that all three are really good options. Honestly, the team that should be going after him is probably Nashville, but they also want a 3-down back who can pound the rock inside. 9— Jim Pyne, C, CHI: A premier player at the position, Pyne came to Chicago on a 1-year deal, proved his worth, and is now looking to make even more with a new destination. Chicago would love to resign him, but there will be other bidders for a center of his quality. 8— Jerome Woods, FS, OAK: We like Woods over Joe King for one reason, he is 5 years younger. That is a nice chunk of time you could have a top flight safety. The same teams who will speak with King will certainly be talking to Woods. 7— Matt Light, LT, NJ: The only truly talented left tackle we expect in the pool, which means big money is headed his way. New Jersey just simply did not have the cap room to retain him. No shortage of teams hoping to upgrade at this vital position, including several with big cap room space like Oakland, Chicago, Birmingham, and Las Vegas. 6— Andre Rison, WR, PIT: While he has had some issues off the field, he is an unquestionable #1 receiver, and that makes a lot of teams look the other way at his non-football issues. Not a speed burner, but a great route runner with good hands. If he is not signed within the first week of the USFL free agency period, we could easily see him headed to the NFL. 5— Ryan McNeill, CB, ORL: Not a true shut-down corner, but one of the best in zone defense, and a very capable tackler, which is a good combination to have. Teams in the market for a #1 CB are many, but we think that either Oakland, Nashville, or Denver are potential options here. 4— Ricky Williams, HB, NOR: The Breakers sat through the full year suspension, communicated with Williams throughout the year, and still let him go in free agency. That has to be a red flag. The talent is there, no doubt, but what are the odds that signing Williams means signing a potential headache? Buyer beware, but sometimes the risk can pay off. Philadelphia, Nashville, or Las Vegas could be potential landing spots. 3— Ted Johnson, LB MGN: The Panthers hate losing Johnson, and they may try to find a way to resign him, but if they cannot, then he will be a coveted player, with no shortage of bidders. Denver could use him, but they are notoriously cheap when it comes to free agents. Others who are more likely to pay the big bucks are Houston, Pittsburgh, Washington, or New Orleans. 2— Phil Hansen, DE, NJ: The greatest sack artist in USFL history is very likely going to be a free agent in 2005 if he does not retire after Summer Bowl 2004. We expect that we are talking about a 1-2 year deal here as he is certainly in the retirement range for a DE. But, getting a player who can bring you 15+ sacks for one year may be exactly the kind of “win now” signing that a team would jump at. There are no shortage of teams in that mode, including Ohio, Boston, and Tampa Bay. 1—Ahman Green, HB, NSH: There is no other way to say it, the Knights screwed the pooch on their negotiations with Green, coming in way too low and pissing off the league’s rushing leader. Green is only 26, and will undoubtedly be the highest paid free agent, coveted by both the NFL and several USFL squads. Expect a big offer made right away as the league would like to see him stay in the Spring. Philadelphia seems a very likely option, but could Denver break their tendency and actually open up the pocketbook for a top flight bell cow back? USFL & Riddell Announce New Helmet to Debut in 2006 After several years working together on a concussion initiative, one largely inspired by the sudden retirement of Troy Aikman from the Tampa Bay Bandits, the alliance between the USFL and Riddell is apparently about to produce results. There have been some small victories over the past few years, and certainly more has been learned about the dangers of head to head collisions. Some new rules have been implemented, and guidelines for team physicians designed to prevent players from returning to action too quickly, but the technology of the helmet has not seen significant changes until now. The USFL and Riddell announced this week that they would be working with players to pilot a new helmet design, one which they hope to bring to the league in 2006 for broad use. The design is to be called the Riddell Revolution Speed (pictured here). Some sharp-eyed USFL fans, particularly in Atlanta, may have noticed that the design was already being used, at least virtually, as the Pick the Helmet contest for the Fire opted to use the futuristic design in their imagery for the vote. Designed to provide more protection along the crown of the helmet, particularly at the front, where most collisions occur, the Speed helmet disperses impact across an enhanced raised centerpiece and contains several vents along either side to allow for greater flexibility and release of energy. The helmets will be tested by 65 players in 2005 and, if results demonstrate what Riddell anticipates as a more successful design, the helmet will transition into one of 3 designs for official use in the USFL. No players have been named yet, however, Riddell stated in their release that they are hoping to focus primarily on the positions of halfback, linebacker, safety, and guard, four positions where head to head collisions are more prominent. So, if you tune in next Spring and see some odd designs on your favorite players’ heads, know that it is the final stage of testing for a technology that has been years in the works, and which both Riddell and the USFL hope will bring about a safer game without watering down the hard hitting gameplay that fans of the spring league have come to expect. It all comes down to this. We don’t think many would have predicted a New Jersey vs. Arizona Summer Bowl this year, but by season’s end these two teams were among the best in the country. With both it is about a controlled offense and a shut down defense, so this could very well be a low scoring game with big plays decided by the defenses through turnovers or drive-stopping sacks. The hitting will be hard, we know that. The pressure on both quarterbacks will be there, and how they react could make all the difference. Let’s take a look at several key aspects of this game and who we favor in each. QB Play: Two very different styles in Jake Plummer and Tom Brady. Coach Fassel has kept Plummer in the pocket and discouraged designed runs for the gunslinger, but Plummer can still be dangerous with his legs. Brady’s biggest gift is his ability to deal with pressure and hit receivers with a well-placed ball. Not one to improvise, Brady prefers to read his progressions and dump the ball when pressure comes. So, expect the Wranglers to have to focus on TE Anthony Becht as Brady’s favorite safety valve. For New Jersey, they are going to have to use Shaun Ellis and Phil Hansen to not only rush Plummer, but to keep him in the pocket. If he breaks containment, he could hurt the Generals with his ability to scramble. Run Game: Prior to Jim Fassel and Stephen Davis coming to Arizona, this would have been a no brainer, but the new ball coach and new bell cow have proven that a run game can exist in the desert. Curtis Enis has more yards this year than Davis (952 to 864) but both teams have shown they can effectively use the run game to set up the pass or to earn those hard third and short yards. The advantage for New Jersey is the ability to bring in the quicker, more agile James Jackson to spell Enis when needed, or to help out in the passing game. Arizona’s tends to rotate in more players, such as Dominic Rhodes or Earnest Graham, but neither of them is quite the change of pace that Jackson provides to the Generals. Receiving Corps: This is perhaps the biggest advantage for the Wranglers. Rookie Larry Fitzgerald has been outstanding in his first year, but his presence also means that teams cannot overload coverage to defend against Santana Moss. Tim Dwight can still come in and blow the top off coverages, and Nate Jacquet is a nice slot option. Where Arizona is hurting is at TE, where the injury to Matt Cushing leaves them a bit thin. New Jersey has long been a one-man show, with Terry Glenn being the first man Brady tries to find on every route. Anthony Becht is a solid drop down option, but he is not going to bust a play for 20 or 30 yards. If Arizona’s All-USFL defensive backfield contains Glenn, the pressure will be on Jerome Pathon and David Tyree to step up. Pass Rush: Two very different styles here. New Jersey has an all-time great in Phil Hansen on one end and an underrated but very dangerous Sean Ellis on the other. With that combo, they can pressure with just 3 or 4 linemen in the game. They simply don’t blitz often at all, relying on Hansen, Ellis, and DT Tommy Harris to get to the QB so that they can leave 7 or even 8 in coverage. Arizona will bring heat, loving to mix in zone blitzes and bring both linebackers and safeties into the pass rush. Gary Walker leads the team with only 9 sacks, but then you add in 5 more form Jason Peter, 4 from rookie Karlos Dansby, 3 from LB Corey Miller, and blitzes from Winfred Tubbs and SS Je’Rod Cherry, and you have a lot of defenders to worry about. The nod still goes to New Jersey here, since getting pressure with just your line frees up so many options for coverage. Run Defense: Arizona finished the year with the 3rd best defense, but that was mostly due to their outstanding secondary. The run coverage did not get much press, but finished 6th in the league, allowing only 83 yards per game. What is surprising is that with the #1 scoring defense and the #2 in yards allowed, New Jersey’s run defense was ranked lower at 13th. This is in part due to the issues teams faced trying to pass the ball against the Generals. Pretty much every club who faced them tried to establish the run, but if Arizona can do even a modest job of getting Stephen Davis on track, then they will have an easier time holding off the pass rush. Takeaway Capability: Both of these teams excel at taking the ball away. Arizona finished first in the league with 39 takeaways, while New Jersey was 2nd with 38. The key for the Wranglers is that scary secondary of Je’Rod Cherry (4 picks), CB Jimmy Williams (7 picks), CB Philippi Sparks (4), and FS Tyrone Drakeford (4). For New Jersey, All-USFL FS Brian Dawkins is their pick leader with 6, but the real star of the secondary is Deion Sanders. Sanders only had 2 picks this year, but that is because no one is stupid enough to throw in his direction. The question we have is whether he will shadow Santana Moss all day, or will New Jersey put him on one side, Plummer’s preferred side, and have him cover whichever Wrangler receiver (Moss or Fitzgerald) is there? Either way, the workload will turn to Mike Rumph on the other side. Kicking: This game could easily come down to a big kick at the end. We don’t see either team as likely to run away with this one unless turnovers are a huge factor. Looking at the kicking game it is again very close. New Jersey’s Ryan Longwell got the All-USFL nod, thanks largely to his 28 of 31 field goal record, but Rob Bironas of Arizona was also very solid, connecting on 29 of 35 attempts. Both have a lot of leg, and should do well in a pretty amiable kicking environment in Orlando. If there is an advantage it may be in the punt game, where New Jersey’s Josh Miller was a pretty clear All-USFL selection thanks to 32 of his 73 kicks ending up inside the 20, a fabulous percentage. Arizona’s return men, Cliff Russell and Damien Richardson, have better averages thanTay Cody or Andre Woolfork for New Jersey, but we would not be shocked at all if the Generals switched things up and put a scare into Arizona by sending Deion Sanders onto the field in key points of the game to return kicks. Coaching: Jim Fassel was runner up to Steve Spurrier for Coach of the Year, and well-deserved, but Bill Parcells is a legend. We have to say that Parcells is more likely to come up with a plan to cancel out Arizona’s best offensive plays, and will also likely have a wrinkle or two on offense to mix things up. He also has a greater knowledge of his roster than Fassel will in only his first year. Advantage Generals. OUR PICK; This is a tough one. We expect it will be a very close game. It could well be decided by turnovers and pass protection. Arizona is more capable of the dramatic gamebreaker plays, particularly in the passing game, and their secondary is more than capable of a momentum shifting pick-six, but Brady is a very controlled QB, unlikely to make the big mental mistake, and that consistency can pay off if the game is close. We are going to give the edge, but just barely, to the Generals, thanks to Coach Parcells’ experience in championship football games, having won 2 Super Bowls in the NFL before signing on with the Generals. New Jersey 18 Arizona 17, and we think it really could be that close.

After a wild first week of playoff action, the Divisional Round was one for folks who believe in the value of the regular season, as all four top seeds got W’s and set up two Conference Title Games that will pit the #1 seed against the #2 seed. While this means the end of the various Cinderella storylines across the league, what it leaves us with are the 4 best teams left in action against each other. Whether it is the offensive explosiveness of Tampa Bay, the balance and tenacity of Seattle and New Jersey, or the newfound defensive prowess of the Arizona Wranglers, the Divisionals showed us the character of these four teams, and helped set up what should be an outstanding pair of Conference Title Games. BOSTON CANNONS 35 TAMPA BAY BANDITS 48 The weekend kicked off with an offensive display from two teams who had battled at the top of the offensive rankings all season. Boston would finish the day with 435 yards of offense, including 205 on the ground, while Tampa Bay would do even better, racking up 495 total yards, 431 coming from the arm of NFL import Daunte Culpepper in a game that none will soon forget. In a game that only saw 4 punts combined all game, the Cannons and Bandits traded blows all afternoon, beginning with the opening drive, which saw Tampa Bay take the ball, push it down the field and score on a Willis McGahee TD run. Only 5 minutes later, on their second drive, they would double their advantage, going up 14-0 on a Culpepper to Moss TD toss. But Boston was impressed. They finished out the first quarter with a drive of their own, ending with a Tiki Barber TD dive over center. Barber would be huge for the Cannons in this game, rushing for 159 yards and forcing Tampa Bay to respect the run. On the other side, Willis McGahee would gain only 55 yards rushing, but Tampa did not seem to mind as they just kept connecting on deep balls against the Boston secondary. Just as we saw in the first quarter, Tampa Bay would score twice in the 2nd, only to have Boston pull one back before the half. Tampa got TD receptions from Randy Moss (his 2nd of the day) and Jeremy Shockey, only to watch Boston finish the half with a 53-yard TD from Bledsoe to James Whalen. Down 28-14 at the half, Boston received the 2nd half kickoff needing to break the pattern of 2 Tampa scores for each Cannon score. They sliced up the Tampa Bay secondary to open the half, with Drew Bledsoe connecting with Joe Jurevicious to pull the game to within 7 at 28-21. Tampa seemed nonplussed by the Boston score, and quickly retaliated with a drive of their own, 67 yards in only 5 plays, ending with Culpepper hitting Karl Williams on a 22-yard TD strike. With only 1:50 left in the 3rd, it looked like the Bandits would take a 2-score lead into the final period. But Sam Madison had his own ideas. Taking the Tampa kickoff on the 4-yard line, Madison followed his wedge of blockers, shook off the first tackler, sidestepped a second and then was off to the races. 96 yards later he was in the endzone, and Boston was right back in this one, down 7 once more, 35-28. It would come down to the 4th quarter. Tampa would open the final period with a solid drive, but one that ended with a field goal. Still, the 3 points put them up by 10, but that did not feel secure for long. Boston stormed right back, eating up yards in chunks of 11, 13, 9, and 14 on their way to a Robert Ferguson Td that pulled the visitors back to within 3 points at 38-35. With over 10 minutes left, it very much felt like this game could come down to who had the ball last. But that was just a feeling. Tampa Bay once again pulled their lead out to 10 points on their next drive, as Culpepper connected on his 5th TD pass of the game, finding former General Kevin Johnson from 7 yards out to go up 45-35. But, the ball would go back to Boston with over 8 minutes left. It was then that a rookie would make the play of the game. Boston started moving the ball, first with a Tiki Barber 5-yard run, then a short pass to TE James Whalen, leaving the Cannons with what appeared to be a makeable 3rd and 2. Bledsoe took the ball from under center, faked it to Barber, and looked for WR Robert Ferguson crossing from right to left. He threw the ball ahead of Ferguson, but did not see rookie LB Jonathan Vilma crossing back into the middle zone. Vilma tipped the ball up in the air, and came down with it himself, the only turnover of the game. Four plays later Tampa Bay would get another 3 points from Nate Kaeding and the lead would be 13. Boston was unable to recover, and Tampa Bay finished off the game with a defensive stand and 3 kneel downs. The Bandits would be hosting the Conference title game only 1 year after a disastrous 4-10 season. HOUSTON GAMBLERS 16 SEATTLE DRAGONS 20 The Gamblers were not supposed to be here. They had lost their starting QB in midseason, had struggled to a 5-7 record with 2 weeks left, put in a 40-year old retired QB, and somehow not only won the season-ending games they needed to reach 7-7, but also kept that momentum going in the Wild Card round, traveling to Nashville and knocking off the Knights. Could they take their unlikely run one game further in Seattle? The Dragons said “Not here, not today” to that idea. They took the lead in the first quarter on a Corey Dillon TD reception, and never allowed Houston to pull ahead. Houston would score a field goal, Seattle would add one of their own. This happened twice, and by the half it was 13-6 Seattle in a game defined primarily by hard hits, QB’s on the run, and missed opportunities for both clubs. On several occasions there were open receivers simply missed by both quarterbacks, or run plays that were one slipped tackle away from breaking loose. Kevin Faulk would lead all rushers with 67 yards as Houston’s defense keyed on Corey Dillon all day. Byron Leftwich would have a modest 229 yards on a 17 of 27 day, while Doug Flutie would toss the ball up 37 times, completing 25 for 260 yards, but he would also take a few too many risks, throwing two picks that killed Houston drives. Houston managed to tie the game in the 3rd quarter, thanks to a Bethel Johnson punt return for 53 yards that evened the score at 13, but Seattle squashed hopes of a comeback with a quick strike score, Leftwich hitting Dillon for a second time to give the Dragons a 20-13 lead. The needed magic from Doug Flutie would not appear in the final minutes of the game, as one drive was stopped on a 4th and 3 and another ended with Flutie’s 2nd pick of the game. Seattle would hold on and punch their ticket to the Conference Finals. A valiant effort from the Gamblers to be sure, but this was a Seattle team that had been prepping for this kind of game all season, and they did what needed to be done to survive and advance. OHIO GLORY 10 NEW JERSEY GENERALS 29 If the rumors are true, and this season will be Phil Hansen’s last, he is certainly leaving us with a lasting memory. Hansen and the Generals showed Glory QB Chris Redman no mercy in this game, sacking him a painful 8 times, including 2 sacks by Hansen, one for a safety. The defensive line was simply dominant, with DT Tommy Harris also recording 2 sacks, and 4 other players getting into the act. The result was an Ohio offense that looked nothing like the point-a-minute Glory that had won the past two league titles. New Jersey was opportunistic on offense, with TE Anthony Becht proving to be a reliable redzone target for QB Tom Brady, scoring twice in the first half to give New Jersey a dominant 17-3 halftime lead. They would get that Hansen safety to open the second half, and never look back. Curtis Enis and James Jackson would share 30 carries for 85 yards but would also eat up a lot of clock in the second half. Ohio managed their only TD of the day in the 4th quarter, but it was far too little and far too late as the injury-riddled Glory would bow out of the playoffs and lose out on the chance to make history by seeking a third consecutive USFL title. New Jersey would advance, setting up a matchup with the Tampa Bay Bandits next week. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 20 ARIZONA WRANGLERS 23 – OVERTIME The week’s final game was perhaps the most dramatic, a hard-fought game that saw Eli Manning lead the Breakers back from a 14-point deficit in the final quarter only to lose the game in overtime. Arizona would look dominant early, but their vaunted defense would end up giving up 363 yards to rookie Eli Manning by game’s end as the Breakers mounted a furious comeback to tie the score in the final minutes. The game began with New Orleans stymied in the red zone and forced to kick field goals in the first half. Arizona had no such issues and got TDs from HB Dominic Rhodes and TE Dustin Lyman to take a 14-6 lead into the halftime break. In the 3rd quarter the Wranglers would add two field goals of their own, building up what seemed to be a game-clinching 14-point lead at 20-6. But New Orleans changed their plan in the final period, adopting a no-huddle, fast-paced offense, and the shift worked. They got a TD in only 5 plays on their first drive of the period, and then stuffed Arizona on a 3rd and 1 to get the ball back only 3 minutes later. On their next drive Manning would go 5 for 5 throwing the ball, and would connect with Josh Reed from 20 yards out to even the score, much to the dismay of the nearly 51,000 on hand as afternoon turned to evening in the desert. Arizona got the ball back with 2:21 left to play, and they tried their best to avoid overtime, but Rob Bironas would not get a chance to steal the win as a sack of Jake Plummer on 3rd and 8 forced the ball out of even the strong-legged Bironas’s range and Arizona settled for an overtime conclusion to the game. New Orleans would win the toss, and take the ball first, but the magic had waned. Eli Manning missed wide on a sideline toss to Kevin Dyson and the Breakers were forced to punt. Arizona was methodical in their approach in overtime. Stephen Davis gained 20 yards on the possession, carrying the ball 4 times in 8 plays. Plummer would connect with Larry Fitzgerald for 11 of his 92 yards on the day, a much-needed 3rd down catch, and he would find O.J. Santiago for 16 more as the Wranglers soon found themselves within Rob Bironas’s range. Two handoffs to Davis netted 8 more yards and positioned the ball for the Wrangler kicker. Bironas lined up the kick and the ball sailed right down the middle, giving the Wranglers a hard-earned win, and the chance to do something they had not done in well over a decade, to host a title match. The Wrangler would host the Seattle Dragons in next week’s Western Conference Final. A Season for Second Time Around Coaches While we would hardly call Steve Spurrier a retread, it is entirely appropriate to celebrate the immediate success both he and former Orlando Renegades Head Coach Jim Fassel have had in their second stint as USFL head coaches. Spurrier, of course, had great success the first time around, and was welcomed back to his old stomping grounds in Tampa with much fanfare. The story was a bit different for Jim Fassel, who struggled through 4 seasons as the head man in Jacksonville, replaced by Gunther Cunningham in 1999. There were many in Arizona who felt that Fassel was not the man for the job, including many who wanted current OC Greg Landry to get the HC position instead of a coordinator slot. And yet, the combination of Fassel, focusing on defense and special teams, and Landry, providing Jake Plummer with a new offense, has worked out exceptionally well for the Wranglers. A And now, these two coaches, both on their second assignment in the USFL, one a triumphant return to the home of his former glory and the other on a journey of redemption, are ready to play for a chance to represent their conferences in the Summer Bowl, to take a shot at a title in their first years with their new teams. Quite a story, quite an accomplishment. Favre Announces Retirement It has been speculation for the better part of a month, but at a podium in Birmingham this Tuesday, Brett Favre made it official. He would be retiring from the USFL and pro football after 13 seasons with the Birmingham Stallions. An emotional Favre praised the organization, the fans, and his coaches over the years. He expressed the joy and pain of leaving behind the game he loves and his teammates, but he would not answer any questions about what is next. That last point is a bit pointed, because while there has been a lot of talk about Favre retiring, there has been just as much speculation that the retirement would be used as a means of getting out of a contract and out of a situation he did not care for in Birmingham. On a team that clearly needs to be retooled and dealing with the constant issue of inadequate pass protection, it was widely speculated that Favre was seeking a path out of town, and retirement would afford that. Favre did not speak to this question and refused to answer any questions related to the NFL, or even what might entice him to return to the game. He retires as one of the most celebrated quarterbacks in the history of the USFL. A two-time league MVP (1994 and 1997), league champion in 1993, and a 9-time All-USFL selection, Favre holds several records for individual games, season stats, and career accomplishments. Among the highlights are his 4 seasons among the Top 10 passing yard seasons of all time (1992, 1994, 1998 and 1999), and his 5 appearances on the list of Top 10 passing touchdowns in a season, including his personal best 51TDs in 1998. He retires 2nd only to Doug Flutie in career pass attempts, first in passing yards all time with 58,663, and first in touchdowns, with a whopping 498, a stunning 86 more than 2nd place QB Jim Kelly. His career passer rating of 106.7 is 5th best among all USFL quarterbacks. He is a sure fire first ballot Hall of Famer for the USFL, but the question now is whether he is really done. Could he head to the NFL? Take a year off so that his contract with Birmingham expires and come back to the USFL on his terms? Or is he truly done with a game that has consumed his life since he was a boy. Only time, and Favre himself, will tell. Retirement Roundup While the Favre announcement certainly captured attention nationwide, he was certainly not the only player to announce retirement over the past 10 days. With 8 teams dropping from the playoff hunt over the past week and a half, there have been several more noteworthy retirement announcements to report on. Here are five situations we think could have an impact on these 2004 playoff teams: Boston’s Richie Anderson was named All-USFL this week, but also announced that he was stepping away form the game at the age of of 32. Anderson played 11 years in Arizona before coming over to the Cannons as they relocated from Atlanta. This year marks his third time as the All-USFL fullback. We expect Tiki Barber is just a tad upset about this, but a fullback’s life is a tough one, and Anderson’s body certainly has taken a lot of hits over the years. Chicago’s Jeff George may be another nervous player as his primary protector, Chicago tackle Marcus Spears has also announced that he will move on. Spears came to Chicago in 1994 and became the starter in 1995, where he has helped protect the Machine QB and lead the way for Machine HBs from Ricky Watters to Duce Staley and Michael Turner. Nashville will miss two key defenders from their Knightmare defense. CB Otis Smith and LB Kevin Hardy were both important pieces of the Nashville D, and will force Jim Johnson to rework his offseason plans to improve the offense, as those are two positions that will require some attention. The first of our teams suffering a mass-retirement in positions they can ill afford to lose, we have the Breakers. New Orleans’s defense took several huge hits following their loss this week in Arizona. Not only did regular All-USFL linebacker Lamar Lathon hang up his cleats, but so did two of the Breakers’ key rotation of defensive ends, Chidi Ahonotu and Clyde Simmons. That is a big shift in the Breakers’ defense, one that management is going to be hard pressed to address. While the retirements move New Orleans well under the cap, that kind of talent departure is almost certain to produce concerns about the club’s defense. As rough as things look in New Orleans on defense, Denver has to be considered equally as impacted on offense. The Gold were one of the league’s older rosters, and with that veteran presence came the possibility of a wave of retirements, and that wave has hit hard this year. Within the span of 7 days Denver has announced the retirement of three key players, two from their offense. TE Marco Battaglia and HB Robert Holcombe have all announced their intention to retire, as has CB Clayton Holmes. Battaglia has been a key player in the Denver offense for several years, serving as one of Mark Brunell’s favorite targets, averaging 73 receptions a year for the past 5 seasons, and bringing in 30 touchdowns over that span. Robert Holcombe came to Denver from the NFL in 2002, and has served as the short yardage and late game bruising back that Denver has loved ever since Harry Sydney once rumbled through lines in the early 80’s. In his 3 years with the Gold, Holcombe has averaged just under 700 yards per season, and has been a major goal line force, scoring 22 touchdowns over three seasons. The Gold now have only smaller backs Rod Smart and Kendrick Starling on the roster, so don’t be surprised if they go for a big back in this year’s draft. At TE they have two other players, both over 30 themselves, in David LaFleur and Greg Clark. Perhaps the time is right to draft a young athletic TE as well. New Free Agents Join the Pool With their losses this week, we also see new free agents join the market from Ohio, New Orleans, Boston and Houston. Perhaps the biggest name added to the player market this week is Houston DE Michael Sinclair. We figured that with the lower cap increase this year Houston would have difficulty holding onto the big edge rusher. It appears that the Gamblers have simply done the math and realized that they have other needs that make it impossible to hold onto Sinclair. The bookend to Kavika Pittman, Sinclair had some strong years in the late 90’s but has slipped down to an average of only 6.3 sacks per season over the past 3 years. At 34, he may still have some value for folks around the year, especially with edge rusher at such a premium in the USFL. New Orleans, even with the departures of several key defensive stars, also has issues with free agents potentially leaving. Starting center Chukki Okobi is the biggest potential loss, but the Breakers have also allowed LB Derrick Rodgers go, which leaves them with two LB slots to fill this offseason. Feels a lot like a rebuilding year for the Breakers. Ohio has had 5 players join the pool, including DE Cedric Harden, C Todd McClure, and WR Malcolm Floyd. Of the three McClure may be the priority in the offseason as the offensive line is key to Ohio’s success in so many ways. Floyd will be a hit to special teams more than to the offensive scheme as he only saw 11 targets this past season, and 13 the season before. Boston takes the biggest hit as breakout star Robert Ferguson was not signed by the weekend, meaning the big target is free to seek what will almost certainly be a high value deal in the free agent market. Ferguson became a starter in Boston in 2003, leading the team with 75 receptions for 865 yards and 5 TDs. With the arrival of Chad Ochocinco, his catches went down (75 to 53) but both his yards (985) and TDs (from 5 to 8) went up as he saw far less double coverage. Ferguson may be best suited as a 2nd receiver, where he can flourish against single coverage, but there may be some teams who view his 2 year progression as a sign that he can take on the #1 role as well. Looking ahead to the Conference Title Games, we are happy to report that we are looking at four pretty healthy teams as several players came off the injury report this week. Godfrey Miles is still out for Seattle, as is Matt Cusching for Arizona, but otherwise these two western clubs are looking fully stocked for the big game. In the East, New Jersey is the only team with a new potential injury concern, as Anthony Becht, after scoring twice in the Divisional Round, is questionable with a hamstring issue. He joins Donterrious Thomas on the injury report this week. For Tampa Bay, FS Byron Scott is the only name on the list, and he is out this week. ALL USFL TEAM AND AWARD WINNERS We mentioned the All-USFL list in referencing the retirement of FB Richie Anderson, so it is only fair that we reveal the full list, along with this year’s award winners. It is, as always, a star-studded roster of the league’s best. QB: Two new names as Drew Bledsoe (BOS) and Daunte Culpepper (TBY) join Kerry Collins as all-league quarterbacks. This is the first time that no QB from the West has made the roster in over 5 seasons. HB: New free agent Ahman Green tops the list, joined by Boston’s Tiki Barber and Ohio’s Eddie George. The big snub here is Terrell Davis of Pittsburgh, but with only 3 slots, one had to be left off. FB: Richie Anderson gets the honor in what we now know to be his final season. TE: Two players who serve not only as safety valves, but primary targets as Seattle’s Ken Dilger and Boston’s Stephen Alexander take the two slots. WR: Always a tough competition, this year the five wideout spots go to Chad Ochocinco (BOS), Randy Moss (TBY), David Boston (SEA), Joe Horn (BIR), and Antonio Freeman (HOU). Joey Galloway almost certainly would have joined the group, but his midseason injury derailed his year. OT: A well-known group of Jonathan Ogden (LA), Matt Light (NJ) and Jerry Wunsch (OHI), with Wunsch now a free agent sure to cash in on this honor in the marketplace. OG: Another Express lineman makes the list as Alan Faneca represents LA. He is joined by Vince Manuwai of Seattle and Kendall Simmons of Ohio. C: The pivots on this year’s team are George Teague of Tampa Bay and Houston’s Brad Meester, as the trend of playoff teams holding nearly all the All-USFL positions continues. DE: No surprises here as Kavika Pittman (HOU), Phil Hansen (NJ), and Anthony Weaver (CHI) get the spots. On the outside looking in are Washington’s Tony Brackens (14 Sacks) and Las Vegas’s Hugh Douglas (14 sacks). DT: The defensive interior spots go to Gilbert Brown (SEA), Russell Maryland (PIT), and Darwin Walker (CHI). LB: Five linebacker spots, but always a tough competition. This year the honor goes to Jacksonville’s DPOTY Mike Vrabel, LA’s Mo Lewis, New Orleans’s DeWayne Dotson, and two Chicago backers, MLB Brian Urlacher and blitzing OLB Tommy Polley. CB: Charles Woodson is becoming a regular on this list for the Federals. He is joined by Breaker Latin Berry, Dragon Al Harris, and pick champion Jimmy Williams of Arizona. S: Our four safeties this year are LeRoy Butler and Je’Rod Cherry of Arizona at Strong Safety and New Jersey’s Brian Dawkins and another Wrangler, Tyrone Drakeford at Free Safety, meaning that three of Arizona’s four DB starters are All-USFL. No wonder they find themselves battling for a Summer Bowl appearance. ST: Our special teamers this year are both from the New Jersey Generals as kicker Ryan Longwell and punter Josh Miller both get the honor for the Generals. From this amazing pool of talent, we also have our award winners for 2004. No big surprises in this year’s winners, with several obvious picks this season. MVP: After domination over several years by Kerry Collins of Ohio, the nod this year went to veteran QB Drew Bledsoe of the Boston Cannons, who matched Collins in every category and was at the head of the league’s most dynamic offense. Bledsoe finished 3rd in yardage with 3,693, but first with 32 TDs and only 5 picks. His QB Rating of 139.5 was just 2 points higher than Collins, but the voters gave him credit for the amazing season the Boston offense put in, surpassing Ohio as the most feared attack (in part due to injuries on the Glory roster.) Offensive POTY: No shock that Chad Ochocinco took home this award. He was Bledsoe’s top competition for MVP and his numbers this year were astounding. Ochocinco, in his first year partnered with Bledsoe, put up a league best 1,553 yards and 13 touchdowns while helping the Cannons turn from perennial also-ran to one of the league’s most dangerous teams. Defensive POTY: A rare award win for a player on a non-playoff team, but the year Mike Vrabel had was undeniable. The MLB for the Bulls led the league with 132 tackles, but his most amazing stat was his 11 forced fumbles in 14 games. The next closest players were all at 5 for the year. Add in 4 sacks and you have a path of destruction for the best player on the Bulls’ defense. Rookie of the Year: Baltimore hit on a winner when they traded up in the draft to take Miami of Ohio QB Ben Roethlisberger with the first overall pick in the Open Draft. Big Ben was the starter within 3 weeks of the season beginning and led Baltimore with 2,321 yards passing and 19 TDs. Second in the voting was LB Jonathan Vilma of Tampa Bay, who finished the year with 74 tackles for a revitalized Bandits squad. Coach of the Year: While the success of both Arizona’s Jim Fassel and Tampa Bay’s Steve Spurrier was undeniable, there was no way this award was not going to the Ol’ Ball Coach after his return to Tampa Bay led the club from a 4-win season to a #1 seed at 12-2. The turnaround of the Bandits was the story of the year. But don’t feel bad for Fassell, his club is still very much alive for a possible Summer Bowl berth, where he could very easily be facing Spurrier and the Bandits in Orlando. Owners Approve Major Changes for 2006 Expansion Season Big news out of the New York USFL offices as the owners have approved several significant items related to the 2006 and 2008 expansion processes. These changes impact scheduling, divisional alignment, and the draft process. Here are the basics: ALIGNMENT The league owners approved two alignments for 2006 and 2008. Each conference will have 13 teams beginning in 2006 with the addition of Atlanta and St. Louis. The vote this week clarifies how that will look. In 2006, Boston will be reassigned to the Northeast Division, which will be renamed the Atlantic Division. This will make the Atlantic Division the Eastern Conference’s 5-team division. The Atlanta expansion team will replace Boston in the Southeast Division. The more dramatic shift occurs with St. Louis’s entry. There was much debate about putting St. Louis in the Southern Division (Western Conference) but both Chicago and Michigan ownership made strong cases for including the new team in the Central Division. In order to accommodate this, the Central Division will relocate to become one of the three Western Divisions, moving the Southern Division back to the Eastern Conference. St. Louis will join Chicago, Michigan, Ohio, and Pittsburgh in the new Central Division out West, while the 4 Southern Division clubs (Birmingham, Memphis, Nashville and New Orleans) will compete in the Eastern Conference. This alignment places 1 division of 5 teams and 2 divisions of 4 teams in each conference. Despite the different alignments, each club in the league will still play only 6 division games. This means that teams in the Central and Northeast Divisions will play 2 teams twice, and the other 2 teams in their division only once. More complications for the scheduling team to work out. When the league expands to 28 teams in 2008, the two new teams will be split between the Eastern and Western conferences, so that each adds a 14th team and each conference is aligned with two 5-team divisions and one 4-team division. This means that we should expect the expansion committee to essentially divide all 2008 aspirants into two camps, East and West. So, expect to see Portland, Dallas, and potentially Kansas City fighting over one spot, while Miami, Raleigh, Charlotte, and the Tidewater region to fight over the other. SCHEDULE The second major adjustment will be the schedule, which will move back to 16 games, beginning in 2006. This will create a 2-year period where teams will play only 6 division games, will play 6 inter-divisional games within their conference, and then 4 inter-conference games, essentially adding 2 interdivisional matchups per year. In 2008 this will change again as teams will then play 8 divisional games, with the teams in 5-team divisions playing their 4 divisional foes twice, while the 8 teams in 4-team divisions will play two teams in their division 3 times and a third team only twice. Again, messy, but necessitated by the odd combination of 4- and 5-team divisions. The 16-game season was apparently a more lopsided vote than many expected, perhaps aided by the revenue issues which became apparent with this year’s unexpectedly small salary cap increase. Adding back the 2 games may well lead to renegotiation of the transfer window concept with the NFL, but will impact the TV contracts for the USFL to the benefit of all teams that share the television revenue. TERRITORIAL DRAFT The third alteration is that beginning in 2006 the Territorial Draft will have two major alterations. The first is a reduction from 3 schools to 2 per USFL club. All schools in the T-Draft will be Division 1 (BCS) universities. Teams can appeal the Competition Committee for a third eligible school only in situations where the assigned two protected schools produce fewer than 8 viable pro prospects in a given year. The second adjustment to the T-Draft is that as of 2006 it will no longer be possible for teams to trade away T-Draft selections. This popular practice has allowed teams to trade into another team’s T-Draft and obtain the rights to a player who otherwise would have been available in the open draft pool. Several owners argued that these swaps, often T-Draft picks for Open Draft picks defeat the purpose of the T-Draft to stock local players with nearby teams. The argument is that if, for example, Los Angeles does not feel inclined to draft a USC or UCLA quarterback, they should not have the right to determine which other team in the league can draft that player by selectively trading away a T-Draft pick to a team it prefers. The new model would essentially limit T-Draft selections to the team with those protected schools, allowing that hypothetical USC quarterback to enter the Open Draft if the Express did not select him with one of their 3 protected picks. A pretty big shift in what the T-Draft can and cannot do for teams. 2008 EXPANSION TIMETABLE In addition to these rule changes, the league approved a timeline for the 2008 expansion process. It will begin with expansion proposals accepted by the league in February of 2005, just before the season kickoff for the 2005 season. The league will then vote on proposals in their Spring meeting. A proposal must garner 2/3 of league votes to be approved. If only 1 proposal meets that standard then the remaining proposals will be permitted to resubmit with adjustments and updates to their proposal and a second vote will be conducted on the same timeline in 2006. The hope, of course, is that two proposals stand head and shoulders above the others in 2005 and both can be approved at that time, giving them nearly 30 months to set up operations. But, if not, there could be one, or even both positions, which will be delayed until 2006, shortening the timeline for franchise set up. At present, speculation is that between 5-9 proposals will be forthcoming for the two expansion clubs, so competition is likely to be fierce. Back to the business of playoff football, we enter next week with 4 teams hoping to come out on top and earn their way into the 2005 Summer Bowl in Orlando. We have four division winners, the top two seeds in each conference, in this year’s title games, and none of these four teams have been in a Summer Bowl more recently than 1998, when Tampa Bay won their second title. Tampa earned their second title in that year, Troy Aikman’s last with the team. New Jersey is looking for their first title since 1989, while Arizona has appeared in one Summer Bowl (1990) and came away with a loss to the Federals. For Seattle, a 1995 expansion team, this is all new. We have two games to preview, and lots of intriguing considerations in both, so here is our tale of the tape and our best guess on each one: #2 New Jersey (11-3) @ #1 Tampa Bay (12-2) Sunday, July 11 @ 3:00pm ET Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL Anticipated weather at kickoff: 89 degrees, possible Thunderstorms in the Area. Hot and humid is not what most players want to see. Expect a sticky game, perhaps slowed by fatigue and cramping, and with a possibility of delays if localized storms produce lightning. All-USFL Players: Both teams have 5 honored players apiece, with Tampa having QB Daunte Culpepper, WR Randy Moss, and C George Teague from their offense, and SS LeRoy Butler and LB Kevin Mitchell on defense. New Jersey has both the All-USFL kicker and punter in Longwell and Miller, but also has Phil Hansen and FS Brian Dawkins on defense, and LT Matt Light on offense. Rankings: The Generals are strongest on defense, where they have the #1 scoring defense, giving up only 15.5 points per game, the second rated defense for yards allowed (293.1 per game) and the 2nd rated pass defense (only 196.8 yards per game. The offense is also Top 10, scoring 23.5 per game to rank 6th, and holding the #5 rushing attack at 113.7 yards per game. Tampa Bay is almost the polar opposite. They live on offense, where they have the #2 scoring offense (29.7ppg), are 2nd in passing, and 4th in total offense. The Bandit defense is a bit more pedestrian, ranked 13th with 22.4 points per game allowed. Their yardage number is a bit worse than that, ranking 19th at 345.6 yards allowed per game. The General run game will be a concern for the 18th ranked run defense in the league. Analysis: This is a great contrast of styles, with Tampa Bay always looking for the big play, the misdirection play or surprise home run shot, while New Jersey is content to chip their way down the field, avoid mistakes, and wear down an opponent. Both QB’s are well-suited the particular offense they run, with Tom Brady’s best attributes being accuracy and a sense of calm in the pocket, while Culpepper uses his big frame to extend plays and his even bigger arm to deliver deep balls. So it comes down to a battle of defenses in that New Jersey has to contain Tampa Bay and force them to be patient, while Tampa Bay’s defense has to force negative plays that put New Jersey in tough-to-convert third downs. OUR PICK: Pretty much every team in the league has been trying to slow down Tampa Bay this season, and even when they are 95% contained, they still get off one or two big plays that often shift the momentum of the game. We think that is a winning formula, so we are picking the Bandits to take this one, 27-20. #2 Seattle (9-5) @ #1 Arizona (10-4) Sunday, July 11 @ 9pm ET Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ Anticipated weather at kickoff: 103 degrees, no precipitation. There is no doubt that even with a 6pm start and temperatures cooling over the course of the game, keeping players cool and shaded is going to be key. Expect both sidelines to have canopies and misters to try to lower the sideline temperature, but there will be no respite in the field of play. The league is likely to increase the number of official timeouts, and to extend them to allow for water breaks even after the sun hits the horizon. All-USFL Players: Arizona has 3 All-USFL selections, all in the defensive backfield with Williams, Cherry, and Drakeford all honored this year. Seattle has five selections, two on defense with CB Al Harris and DT Gilbert Brown, and three on offense with TE Ken Dilger, WR David Boston, and guard Vince Manuwai. Rankings: Seattle comes into this game with the 3rd ranked offense in both scoring (29.6ppg) and yards per game (381). This is led by their 8th ranked passing offense, but also with balance as they have the 10th best run game as well. The defense is middle of the road, 15th in points per game allowed but 22nd in yards allowed, due mostly to their 22nd ranked pass defense, something Jake Plummer has to be happy about. For Arizona, the emergence of their defense has been the story all season. They rank 3rd, allowing only 17.1 points per game, and are also third in the league in total yards allowed. In both the pass and rush they are balanced, finishing 6th in the league in each, allowing just 210 yards per game in the air and an average of only 83 yards per game on the ground. The offense remains a bit pass-happy, with the 10th ranked passing attack, but Stephen Davis has at least moved Arizona to a didling 18th in the league. Analysis: Here is the thing with both of these teams, they beat up on weaker teams but not so much against the better ones. Of Arizona’s 10 wins, only 1 came against a team with a winning record (Denver). Seattle hasn’t even faced a team with a winning record since a Week 5 loss to Nashville, and played 5 consecutive games in the season’s 2nd half against teams that finished with 4 wins this year. Now, part of this is simply the reality of the league’s imbalance between the top-heavy East and the sub-par West, that does not help us pick this game, does it? What we can say is that Arizona’s defense is legit. They can pressure you in a lot of different ways. Seattle is a little harder to figure out. We love the spark that Byron Leftwich has provided in his 2 seasons, but is he really ready for the kind of pressure he will face in this game? OUR PICK: We are going to go with Defense over Offense and the experience of Jake Plummer over the energy of Byron Leftwich. Arizona 24-18.

A Wild Card Weekend full of stories. From Boston’s first trip to the postseason, to an Ohio squad trying to defend their title once again but missing two of their biggest stars. Doug Flutie, at age 40, trying to pull off one more magical performance, and a gametime decision for the Breakers that caught their opponent flat footed. There were defensive stands, big offensive plays that shifted momentum, and even an overtime thriller between two foes who know each other very well. What there wasn’t was a break in the action. There was barely time to breath as the USFL put on a show of what post-season football can be. PITTSBURGH MAULERS 17 BOSTON CANNONS 24 The weekend kicked off with a rowdy crowd at Alumni Stadium reveling in their new team’s first playoff game. The Cannons fell just short of winning their division, but their 10-4 record secured them the top Wild Card spot (thanks to a tiebreaker) and that meant that the Pittsburgh Maulers would have to deal with a loud, well-lubricated, and rowdy Boston crowd as well as the Cannons themselves. Pittsburgh started off well, perhaps assisted by a bit of opening-night nerves for a Boston team that had never achieved postseason play before. The Maulers held Boston without a first down on their first two drives and finished the first quarter up 6-0 on two Bill Grammatica field goals. Grammatica added another in the 2nd quarter before Boston got their first score, but once the Cannons got their legs under them, they started to make waves. Down 9-0, the Cannons rallied with two touchdown drives to take the lead in the second quarter. The first was a 73-yard drive that saw Tiki Barber gain 33 yards on 5 carries. The drive was capped off by Drew Bledsoe hitting Chad Ochocinco on a short slant route from the 2. The Cannon defense then did their job, shutting down Terrell Davis on 3rd and 2 to force a Mauler punt. With just under 2 minutes in the half, Bledsoe moved into no-huddle mode, and in 6 plays got the Cannons into the endzone, this time a 19-yard fade route to Robert Ferguson did the trick. Jitters gone, the Cannons went into the half up by 5. But Pittsburgh had not lost their spirit. After a sack of Bledsoe ended Boston’s first drive , the Maulers responded, with Charlie Batch connecting with Andre Rison for a go-ahead score. The Maulers went for 2, and got it as Batch pitched wide to Kenny Bynum, who ran over a cornerback to get into the endzone to put Pittsburgh up by 3. But that would be the end of Pittsburgh’s offensive success. Boston finished out the third quarter with a drive of their own and when Robert Ferguson hauled in his 2nd TD of the game, the Cannons were up for good. The Boston defense shut down the Pittsburgh run game, limiting Kenny Bynum to 1.4 yards per carry, and with Terrell Davis sidelined for a long stretch due to migraines once again, the Maulers simply could not respond. A Jason Elam field goal stretched the Boston lead up to 7, but they would not be challenged in the game’s final moments, finishing the game with a kneel down by Bledsoe. Boston wins their first playoff game and now waits to find out if they would face the New Jersey Generals in a classic Boston-NYC matchup, or their division rivals, the Bandits, in the next round. HOUSTON GAMBLERS 29 NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 10 The Saturday Night game pitted the Gamblers, who only achieved .500 and a playoff berth with two season-ending wins, and who many felt were lucky to make the postseason at all after playing most of the year without their starting QB, and the Nashville Knights, who many pundits view as an underachiever, a team that should have parlayed the league’s best rushing attack into more than 8 wins this season. Not exactly a David v. Goliath matchup, more like two teams trying to earn respect from a skeptical nation. One player who did not need to prove anything to earn America’s respect was 40-year-old QB Doug Flutie. The former General and Panther has been in the league since 1985, and despite a 2-year hiatus from the league, he was named the starter for this one, and that proved to be a good call by Coach Phillips. Flutie went 17 of 25 and threw 2 touchdowns, but what was more important was that he took command of the Gambler offense, kept his poise throughout, and helped Houston navigate the minefield of Nashville’s high pressure defense. Flutie would throw both of his touchdowns in the first half, one to HB Kevin Faulk and the 2nd to WR Koren Robinson. By halftime the Gamblers had set the tone, leading 17-3. Nashville pulled closer with an opening drive score to get within 7, but after that things started to unravel for the Knights. Todd Collins was sacked in the endzone by FS Leomont Evans (although many feel Michael Sinclair’s initial pressure should merit him credit for the sack). Then two consecutive scoring drives, a field goal and a Kevin Faulk run, and we had a 19-point lead for the Gamblers. Nashville had to abandon a run game that had its moments in the game (Green with 117 yards on 24 carries) and going to a pass-first offense is not what the Knights do well. It allowed Kavika Pittman and Michael Sinclair to tee off on the pass rush, and that did not go well for Todd Collins. Nashville would draw no closer, and the surprising Houston Gamblers, with their unretired QB, were moving on to the next round, a tough date at the #1 seed in the West, the Arizona Wranglers. CHICAGO MACHINE 21 OHIO GLORY 27 -- OVERTIME This was the game to watch, and everyone pretty much knew it. This game between two divisional rivals, not only pitted the 2-time defending champion against one of their fiercest rivals, but it also had the drama of the Glory hobbling into the game without Kerry Collins. If Ohio could get past Chicago, there was a chance Collins could be back for the Divisional round, but getting past a foe as determined as the Machine would be no easy task, even with over 60,000 screaming Ohioans in the stands in Columbus. For Chicago, their star QB was ready to return, having missed most of the second half of the season with an injury. Jeff George took the helm for the Machine, giving Chicago fans hope that this time the story against Ohio would be different. George would have a very strong game, particularly in the 2nd half, on his way to three fourth quarter touchdowns and 305 yards passing, but it was not easy up front. George was erratic in the first half, completing only 10 of 22 passes, and producing no points. Ohio had scored twice in the half and went into halftime up 14-0 as Chicago fans felt frustrated by their inability to take advantage of a clearly weakened Ohio offense. The Machine had focused their attention on Eddie George, and that had limited Ohio to 14 points, but if they could not score, that would bode very poorly for them. Down 14, they struggled more in the 3rd quarter, but found their way on a drive that began with only 1:22 left in the 3rd. The Machine, who had run the ball well (115 yards for Michael Turner) simply did not have time to stick with the run. They let George turn it loose and what resulted was the first score of the game, a George to Conway TD pass with just under 2 minutes gone in the final quarter. Ohio would counter with a score of their own as Chris Redman found Troy Brown to once again give Ohio a 14-point lead, but with over 8 minutes left in the half, there was time for Chicago to come back. George started using a hurry up offense with 8 minutes left, and that paid dividends. He hit Conway with his second TD reception of the game, and suddenly we were back to only a 7-point difference. After a quick 3-and-out produced by the Chicago defense, the offense took over with just under 3-minutes left to play. George again found Curtis Conway, this time from 49 yards away, and suddenly the game was tied. Ohio opted to run out the clock, take a breather, regroup, and prepare for overtime. Chicago, exhausted by the effort to tie the game, was happy to oblige. The game went into extra time and both clubs looked tired, unable to muster anything in their opening possessions. Ohio would receive the ball with 5:03 left in the extra period, and they would find the energy and the drive to battle their way to a win and keep their dream of yet another Summer Bowl alive. They got clutch catches from TE Stephen Alexander and WR Reche Caldwell (who finished the game with 106 yards) as they moved down the field. From the 9-yard line and knowing that a field goal could win the game, Ohio took a shot, and Caldwell came up with the catch, breaking the hearts of Chicagoans everywhere once again, as Ohio took the victory and moved on. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 13 DENVER GOLD 10 The wild weekend of action concluded with the Breakers visiting the Gold, and a surprise as Trent Dilfer was named the starter only minutes before the kickoff. Dilfer had been a question mark most of the week, as Eli Manning had taken most of the snaps with the first team, but when the Breakers took the field, it would be Dilfer returning under center for the first time since Week 12. After a first half that saw both teams struggle to move the ball, it was 3-0 Gold on the lone score of the first 30 minutes. Both teams had played well on defense, limiting the other to some middle-of-the-field drives, but no incursions into the red zone for either club. That would change when Trent Dilfer found Josh Reed on a long 28-yard pass down to the Denver 4-yard line. The Gold stacked the line, expecting to see Olandis Gary hit the hole, but Gary never received the ball as Dilfer faked it to him on 1st and goal and found Az-Zahir Hakeem streaking across the face of goal. The score put New Orleans up 7-3 and showed signs that the second half might have some drama in it after all. That drama surfaced over the next two drives, as, first, Denver responded to the Breaker score by having a drive of their own, one in which unheralded HB Kenneth Starling had the play of his career, a 21-yard run on 3rd and 4 that not only kept the drive alive for the Gold but put them in scoring position. Two plays later, Mark Brunell would hit Peerless Price for the score and Denver would retake the lead. New Orleans came out for the next drive, and immediately had to change plans. On 1st and 10 from their own 22, Trent Dilfer took a shot after releasing the ball, and immediately went down. New Orleans got the roughing call, but more pressing was Dilfer’s condition. He came out of the game and went to the bench for the trainers to check him out, and onto the field came rookie QB Eli Manning. Manning dinked and dunked his way into field goal range, but after missing on a 3rd down throw, the Breakers had to settle for 3 points. They had evened the score at 10, but now had to worry about their chances in the remaining 7 minutes of play. Denver came out strong on the ensuing possession, starting off with an 11-yard run from Holcombe, followed by a Brunell to Battaglia 17-yarder, but after a holding call on 1st and 10, the Gold could not recover and were forced to punt 3 plays later. New Orleans took over with just over 4 minutes left to play. Once again Eli Manning dinked and dunked, mixing in a couple of runs by Troy Hambrick and Amos Zeroue, the Breakers drew closer and closer to scoring range as the clock kept dwindling down. On a 2nd and 8, Manning scrambled out of the pocket and slid just before getting an elbow to the facemask from Denver’s Dexter Jackson. The flag came out for the shot to the head, and the Breakers were in field goal range. They whittled down the clock with 2 run plays, then sent in David Green to attempt a game winning kick with 23 seconds left to play. Green’s kick was right down the center and the small contingent of Breaker fans who had made their way to Denver were dancing in the aisles of Invesco Field. With only 20 seconds, there was not time for a slow drive, Denver’s specialty. Brunell tried to hit Danny Farmer deep on two consecutive plays but failed to connect with his best outside receiver. On 3rd and 10, the left-handed QB found TE Marco Battaglia, but the big man could not get out of bounds, and Denver had no time outs left. They scrambled to get back to the line and spike the ball on 1st and 10, but it just took too long to get settled and the whistle blew. New Orleans had found a way to win, edging Denver 13-10 in a tough defensive game, and now they would move on to face the Seattle Dragons in next week’s Divisional round. Wave of Retirements Impacts Offseason for Many Clubs As we typically see, the first 7-10 days after the season concludes is when we get the biggest wave of retirement announcements, and so it is this year. A lot of high impact players who have opted out of 2005, some to preserve their bodies, some because they are ready to move on to the next phase of their lives, and some because the passion is just not there anymore. In every case they leave a hole in their teams, and in every case, it is up to the GM and Head Coach to try to figure out where the team stands looking to the future. Of course, we have 12 playoff teams who have yet to see this wave, but from the 12 non-playoff clubs, the list is already an impressive one. And while the world waits to hear from Brett Favre and his future with the Stallions, there are already headlines to be written as teams face retirements, some expected, some surprising. Here are the teams facing significant challenges with the retirements announced during the first days of the offseason: MEMPHIS: The Showboats were headed for rebuilding already, and that is assured after the announced retirements of starting HB Dorsey Levins, backup HB Aaron Stecker, CB Darrien Gordon, and LB Jim Schwantz. BALTIMORE: Retirements from WR Rob Moore and TE Jay Riemersma mean that Coach Coughlin will have to focus on offense this offseason, as much as he would rather be a defensive-minded coach. BIRMINGHAM: Replacing LT Richmond Webb will not be easy; he is a very likely first ballot HOF candidate. CB Torey James also announced his retirement, so corner becomes another area of need. TEXAS: The departures of QB Billy Joe Tolliver and LB Stephen Boyd are not major concerns, but this is a roster that needs an infusion of talent, and perhaps a rookie QB could be groomed to take over if their new Head Coach is not keen on Jeff Lewis. WASHINGTON: Scott Zolak retires after a long career that saw him as one of the most coveted #2 QBs in the league. He is joined by LB Bobby Hamilton, so expect Washington to prioritize linebacker this draft, and perhaps nab a new #2 in free agency. Others retiring this week include fullback Edgar Bennett (JAX), LB Lewis Bush (LV), and kicker Jeff Jaeger (PHI) Green, Rison, and Staley Opt for Free Agency We saw this coming, but this week it became official, three top offensive players for their clubs have declined final contract talks and are entering the free agent pool. WR Andre Rison and halfbacks Ahman Green and Duce Staley have all officially become free agents following the losses in the Wild Card round by Pittsburgh, Nashville, and Chicago. The Ahman Green departure is a huge blow for Nashville. The league’s rushing champion has been at the center of the Nashville offense for several years, but clearly issues between Green, largely surrounding his heavy workload, and head coach Jim Johnson, have caused friction, and it appears that the offer put forward by Nashville was not enough to overcome them. The Knights can still work to resign Green once the free agency period begins, but for now, until that window opens, there can be no communication. Duce Staley’s departure from Chicago is less of a panic situation as Staley had seen his carries and his role shift significantly with the arrival and development of rookie Michael Turner. By season’s end it was Turner getting the majority of the carries. Just as Staley had done with Ricky Watters years earlier, it appears that Chicago has once again phased in one back in preparation for the departure (or simply the aging) of another. We expect that there will be no small market for either Staley or Green, with several teams clearly hoping to reinvigorate their run games. Philadelphia seems a likely spot, especially considering the cap room the Stars have. New Orleans could be another, depending on what the Breakers opt to do with Ricky Williams assuming he is reinstated by the league. Both Michigan and Memphis have cap space and a need at HB, and we should not forget about Arizona either, as they found success with Stephen Davis, but he too may be considering retirement. As for Andre Rison, this is a bit of a shock as Pittsburgh was prepared to make him one of the highest paid receivers in the game. That could still happen, but now the Maulers will have to compete with any number of clubs for his talents. We could easily see Rison jumping at a big offer from one of the teams with high cap ceilings. Memphis is the most desperate to upgrade their receiving corps, but we should not discount the possibility that a team like Las Vegas or Texas taking a shot at a top wideout. After what we saw with the arrival of Chad Ochocinco in Boston, there are no shortage of teams hoping to reinvent their passing games by bringing in a bonafied #1 receiver. Others who join the marketplace from the four Wild Card losers include Center Jim Pyne, CB James Trapp, DT Darwin Walker, and CB Jimmy Hitchcock from Chicago; SS Sean Lumpkin, LB Chris Cowart, DT Mark Bouette, and TE David LaFleur from Denver; CB Steve Israel, DT Mark Bouette, and DE Chad Bradtske from Nashville, and DE Bob Kuberski, G Paul Zakauskas, LB Akin Ayodele, and WR Eddie Kennison from Pittsburgh. Chicago can ill afford losing two corners this offseason, so a resigning seems essential there, but, of course, they also don’t want to see Darwin Walker head elsewhere, so their priorities will be split. For Denve,r the biggest loss would be safety Sean Lumpkin, though we are expecting a good safety pool in free agency, so they may opt to go for a younger option at the position. In Nashville, HB has to be the priority, but if they can resign Steve Israel, it would be a good step towards retaining their defensive fortitude. Finally, the Maulers seem OK with most of the players walking away. They are looking to add youth on defense but losing their #1 and #3 receiver means they will have to focus on that position in every aspect of their offseason plan. As we look ahead to the Divisional Round, we see a bit of a disparity between teams that are missing quite a few significant players (like Boston or Ohio) and those who are in much better shape. Here is our quick recap of injuries that could impact each game. BOS: WR C. Wilson-Out, T J. Stinccomb-Doubtful, DE J. Babin-Doubtful, FS C Hall -Questionable, LB R. Pfifer-Questionable, DE G. Ellis-Questionable TBY: FS B. Scott-Out, DE J Copeland-Questionable Pass rush should be a challenge in this game as both teams are missing key edge rushers. If both Babin and Ellis are out for Boston they will almost certainly have to blitz to get to Culpepper. John Copeland’s absence is also a concern for the Tampa pass rush in a game where both offenses could have strong games. HOU: TE R. Krause-Out, QB M Hasselbeck-Out SEA: LB G. Miles-O, CB A. Harris-Doubtful Houston has already adapted to the Hasselbeck injury, and Krause was not a major factor in their offense, so we don’t see major impact here. The same cannot be said for Seattle, where Godfrey Miles and Al Harris were major factors in their defense. OHI: QB K. Collins-Doubtful, WR J. Galloway-Doubtful, T J. Wunsch-Questionable NJ: LB D. Thomas-Doubtful Not a lot of injuries in this game, but all three are huge for Ohio. There was hope that Collins and Galloway would be ready by the Divisional round, but that is looking more and more doubtful. Add to this the possible absence of tackle Jerry Wunsch and Ohio’s offense looks vulnerable, not something you want when facing Phil Hansen and Sean Ellis. NOR: LB D. Dotson-Out, HB T. Davis-Out, QB T. Dilfer-Out ARZ: TE M. Cushing-Out, G L. Knapp -Doubtful Being without Dotson and Troy Davis was not good for New Orleans, but Trent Dilfer going down again this week puts even more strain on the Breakers. Their run gam is down to their 3rd and 4th option, and a lot of pressure will be on rookie Eli Manning in this one. Atlanta to Seek Fan Input on Their Revived Identity Reebok and the Atlanta Fire expansion club are looking for your input as they put together the look that will return to the Peach City in March of 2006. The Club revealed two logos this week and introduced a contest that will allow fans to select the helmet design for the 2006 club. At a press conference held at the Georgia Dome, new home to the club, the Fire revealed their two primary logos for 2006. The first is a familiar one as the Fire will reinstate the flaming “A” logo and wordmark from their final season before the club moved to Boston. The navy, flame orange, and athletic gold logo features the letter A in navy with orange and gold flames rising from the lower right to the upper left. What is new is the secondary logo, a tribute not to fire, but to those who fight it. The secondary is a logo in the form of a firefighter’s shield, crossed by two axes, common tools of the trade. The shield contains a circular flame and a monogram “A”, and the logo, which is predominantly navy with orange features, is outlined in athletic gold. The contest begins this week, and will run through October, when the winning design will be revealed. There are three options to choose from and fans will have the final say as to the new gear to be worn by their club. The first design is again a return to the 2002 look. Called “The Old Flame” is the 2002 helmet with its navy shell and large flames from the front bumper to the rear crown. The second option is called “The “A” game. It too has a navy shell, but instead of full flames on the helmet it has the A logo, with its rising flames on either side. The helmet also has a navy facemask, and it has a 5-stripe center stripe with gold-navy-orange-navy-gold in thin stripes. The secondary logo appears at the base of the helmet, by the rear bumper. Finally, there is the most unique of the three, called “Bring the Heat”. This is an orange and gold shell, with an ombre effect that shifts from flame orange at the rear bumper slowly to athletic gold by the front bumper. The helmet has two thick navy stripes surrounding a thin stripe which has the ombre effect in reverse, from orange at the front bumper to gold at the rear. The facemask is navy, and it is the secondary shield and axes logo which adorns each side of the helmet. Three very different designs, three choices for Atlanta fans to choose from. You can see them all, and vote for your favorite at the “Atlanta Helmet Vote” page linked at the top of all our pages here at the USFL Lives. Washington uniforms revealed for 2005. Atlanta was not the only club to reveal uniform news this week. Washington delayed the announcement of their 2005 look until the season was over, perhaps concerned that the club needed to focus on 2004, and that with no option for a 2004 playoff reveal, the introduction of a new look could wait. So, what is different for the Feds in 2005? The primary logo remains the same, the stylized eagle in flight and depicted in Kelly green and black. The wordmark is the first big change as the Feds do away with their somewhat “futuristic” font and pull in an influence very familiar to us all, the font and style of U.S. currency, featuring a serifed font that has wide sections containing a thin striping of white and green. The design, intended to mirror the type of font we see depicted on U.S. currency, seems appropriate for a team so based in D.C. and named for the federal government. The second feature that is new to the look is a secondary logo again inspired by the federal government. The new Feds’ secondary is a rondel featuring the team name, the year of their inaugural season in Roman numerals, and an eagle with outstretched wings, holding a shield. The design is straight out of the Federal Agency style book and bears a remarkable resemblance to the logo of the recently formed Department of Homeland Security, a department created out of the aftermath of September 11th. The logo will be displayed on the jersey collar and the rear bumper of the helmet. The uniform follows suit with the new wordmark and secondary. Returning to a more traditional stripe pattern, repeated on the pants, jersey, and helmet we find two thin black stripes outlining a central green stripe. The new numeral font on the jerseys is another rendition of the lettering font in the new wordmark, again imitating the look of U.S. currency. The most unique feature of the uniform is the extension of the sleeve stripes across the chest and back. The uniform is unmistakably that of the Federals, but also unique and distinct from their past designs. Previewing the Divisional matchups, we have the 4 top seeds facing some lower seeds after this week’s upsets. Can these Cinderella stories pull off another big win on the road, or will the quality of the #1 and #2 seeds win out. #4 Boston Cannons (10-4) @ #1 Tampa Bay Bandits (12-2) Saturday, July 3rd @ 3pm ET Raymond James Stadium, Tampa This one could be a pure shootout, with both clubs dealing with injuries on the D-line. Culpepper and Bledsoe both have a bevvy of weapons to choose from, both have halfbacks who can bust any play wide open, and both have the ability to slice up zone coverage. Expect this one to come down to who turns mistakes by the opposition into big plays. Turnovers, poorly-timed mistakes, penalties, and simple miscues could determine this battle of divisional foes. Boston beat Tampa Bay in Boston 34-24 in Week 7, but Tampa Bay won the Week 14 game that decided the division. OUR PICK: We give Tampa the edge for two reasons, the first is simply the support of the home crowd, expected to cap out above 55,000, and the second is the stronger LB corps, with Kevin Mitchell, Zeke Moreno, and rookie Jonathan Vilma, Tampa can blitz to make up for Jonathan Copeland’s absence. We pick Tampa Bay 28-24. #5 Houston Gamblers (7-7) @ #2 Seattle Dragons (9-5) Saturday, July 3 @ 8pm ET Seattle Stadium, Seattle The matchup everyone is talking about is Seattle’s 3rd ranked scoring offense against Houston’s 6th ranked scoring defense, and particularly the Houston pass rush against Seattle’s line. But we think the real key is when the roles are reversed. Can Doug Flutie lead the fifth worst scoring offense of Houston to greater success against Seattle’s middle of the pack defense. Flutie is a veteran of many a playoff campaign, and he has some talent around him in pass-catching HB Kevin Faulk and wideouts Antonio Freeman, Koren Robinson, and Roy Williams. Seattle also has some talent on defense, with LBs Takeo Spikes, Barry Minter, and Piso Tinoisama, though they will clearly miss Godfrey Miles this week. OUR PICK: We know it defies all logic, but we are going to go with Houston as an upset pick. We think the pass rush can throw 2nd year QB Byron Leftwich off his game, and we are buying into the Flutie Magic hype. Houston 27 Seattle 20. #3 Ohio Glory (9-5) @ #2 New Jersey Generals (11-3) Sunday, July 4th @ 12pm Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ Nothing like two teams clad in red, white, and blue going at it on July 4th. And there should certainly be fireworks when these two clash. It is a shame that we won’t get to see the full Ohio offense in this one. Chris Redman is a solid backup, but he is no Kerry Collins. Without Collins or Galloway, a lot of pressure will be put on Eddie George to pull this one out somehow. Opposite them is a defense which is #2 in the league against the pass, but only middle of the rankings against the run. Is that enough for Ohio to pull this one out? OUR PICK: Put Collins and Galloway in the game, and we lean heavily to Ohio’s side, but without either of them, we have to favor the Generals. We think Phil Hansen will find his way into Chris Redman’s nightmares, and we see Tom Brady as more than capable of finding holes in Ohio’s somewhat pedestrian pass defense. We say New Jersey 27-21. #6 New Orleans Breakers (7-7) @ #1 Arizona Wranglers (10-4) Sunday, July 4th @ 7pm ET Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ A special Sunday Night game, allowing the Wranglers to play in the slightly less scorching heat of 4pm local time. It will still be plenty hot on the field when the two teams kick off, a factor that certainly helps the home team. While the heat will certainly be a factor, we expect the bigger issue is the fact that this will be Eli Manning’s first start of professional playoff football. We are sure that some of the Ole Miss games in the SEC felt big, but this is certainly going to be higher pressure for Manning. OUR PICK: This is the most complete Wrangler team we have seen in a long time. Jake Plummer can still sling it or scramble to good effect. They have a run game with import Stephen Davis, and the defense has been one of the league’s best this year, allowing only 17 points a game. New Orleans only averaged 18.4 PPG all season, so they will be sorely challenged to score against the Wranglers and the heat. We go with Arizona, 19-13.

Week 14 is always high drama, and that certainly was the case this week, with 2 divisions up for grabs and 5 teams fighting for 4 playoff spots in the West. We had a head to head clash in Tampa Bay for the Southeastern Division Title, two games in the Central that would decide which of the 9-3 clubs in the division would take the #1 spot in that razor thin division race, and three clubs fighting over two Wild Card spots as New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Houston all watched the scoreboard to see if they were in or out. All this, plus, the inevitable fallout as two more coaches were let go and 2 more resigned within days of the end of the season. That is a lot to report on, so let’s not waste any time. All our games mattered this week, so here is the rundown of all 12 Games of the Week. Boston Cannons 24 Tampa Bay Bandits 28 It all came down to this, a head-to-head battle for the Southeast title and a potential #1 seed. The loser dropped to #4 as the top Wild Card. Boston had won the first matchup 34-24, but now they would play in the heat of a Florida midsummer. Both teams were relatively healthy (especially for Week 14) and all the big names were there. And the stars did what stars do. Tiki Barber averaged 4.7 yards a carry on hi sway to 103 for the day. Randy Moss would catch 7 balls for 167 yards and a score, while Chad Ochocinco would catch 5 for 127 and a score as well. The game was tied at 21 after three quarters, with both teams having mixed success slowing down the other’s explosive offense. Drew Bledsoe and the Cannons got the ball all the way to the Tampa Bay 7 yard line, but could not connect on a third and goal play with 4:59 left to play, so coach Fox settled for a field goal and a 3-point lead. That was a mistake. Tampa Bay got the ball back and Daunte Culpepper led the Bandits down the field, mixing a couple of Willis McGahee runs with short passes to TEs Bradford Banta and Jeremy Shockey. They got help from an offsides call on 3rd and 3, and then connected on a 20 yard pass to Karl Williams to put them on the 2. Boston bit on the run on first down and Culpepper found WR Kevin Johnson, who had only had 2 catches all game, on a corner fade, hitting him perfectly so that he fell out of bounds but his feet stayed in. The Bandits win 28-24, and they are both the Southeast Champ and the top seed in the East, only 1 year removed from a horrific 4-10 season. Chicago Machine 10 Pittsburgh Maulers 20 The duel between Chicago and Pittsburgh had the potential to determine another division winner, as both were counting on Ohio, without Joey Galloway or Kerry Collins, to struggle with Michigan (also without a star as Drew Brees sat this one out). The winner of this one could leap over Ohio and take the Central division crown. Chicago got the early lead as their Rookie of the Year candidate, Michael Turner, caught a 4-yard ocoring pass from Ray Lucas. Pittsburgh would answer in the 2nd quarter when Charlie Batch found former Indiana QB-turned-wideout Antwan Randle-El from 9 yards out. Chicago finished the half with a go-ahead field goal, but that would be their final points of the day as Pittsburgh made some adjustments on defense at halftime that shut down the Chicago offense. Staley and Turner, who had gained a combined 62 yards in the first half, would combine for only 26 in the second. The Machine would fail on 3 consecutive third downs to open the second half, and by the time they converted their next 3rd down, the score was already 20-10. Pittsburgh could have pulled away even further, but for a late pick by Charlie Batch that kept Chicago’s hopes alive, but Ray Lucas could not rally the troops and the Maulers finished the game at 10-4, hoping Michigan could help them claim the division with a win in Columbus. Michigan Panthers 17 Ohio Glory 19 The Panthers gave Ohio everything they had, but with the division title in range, the Glory rallied around backup QB Chris Redman, and Redman delivered, leading the Glory on two fourth quarter field goal drives to turn a 17-13 deficit into a 19-17 victory. Michigan tried to rally, but could not convert a 4th and 3 as time ran down, giving Ohio the win and the title of Central Division Champions once again. But, unlike in past years when the title came with a bye week, Ohio finished 3rd in the East this year, which means they will have to take on the #6 seed in the first round of the playoffs, likely without Collins or Galloway available. Birmingham Stallions 16 New Orleans Breakers 30 A win and they were in. That is the situation the Breakers had as they entered the game. They also had Trent Dilfer back under center, a week earlier than predicted, and still somewhat less than 100%, but in this game his best was good enough. Dilfer was helped out by a pick-six of Favre by Randall Gay, and 3 David Green field goals as the Breakers turned a 3-point halftime lead into a 14 point victory. The win clinched them a Wild Card, and gave them a shot at the division if Memphis could knock off Nashville. Memphis Showboats 21 Nashville Knights 27 Rivalry games can always go sideways, and the Knights were well aware that for a dispirited Showboat squad, a win in the final week against the team that had encroached on their territory would be a big victory for Memphis. The Knights came in focused and simply did not allow the Showboats to build momentum. After Memphis got a TD on their opening drive, Nashville rattled off 24 consecutive points to put the Showboats in a deep hole and force them to be one dimensional. Memphis fought back, but they would never take the lead again, and with the win the Knights clinched not only the Southern Division, but a home playoff game as well. Denver Gold 20 Houston Gamblers 24 Houston had one shot at making the playoffs. They had a home game against the Gold and they needed help. If either New Orleans or LA lost, they could steal that final playoff spot. The Breakers were in a tough fight with Birmingham when the Houston game began, but the Gamblers could not afford to focus on the scoreboard. They were stunned very early on when Doug Flutie went out with an ankle issue only 8 plays into the game. In came Kris Kershaw, and the underappreciated backup went the rest of the way. Houston got 115 yards from Kevin Faulk and rookie wideout Roy Williams came up big with a late TD to help the Gamblers snag the win away from a Denver team that had started several backups as preparation for the playoffs. Now all they needed was for Seattle to defeat the Express and Houston would be dancing. Los Angeles Express 24 Seattle Dragons 27 The Express, having seen both New Orleans and Houston win came into this game knowing that only a victory would allow them to play one more week. A loss and they were out of the playoffs at 6-8. Seattle had no desire to help the Express out, playing all their starters and doing their best to get a W and lock up a bye week. By the half Byron Leftwich had connected with both David Boston and O.J. McDuffie to build up a 17-14 lead. They opened the second half with a Corey Dillon TD run, and that 10-point lead would hold them up for the rest of the game. LA slowly fought back, getting as close as 24-17, and then 24-27 with just over a minute left, but when the onside kick did not find Express hands, the Dragons simply ran the clock out on LA’s playoff hopes, and made a lot of friends in south Texas by helping Houston qualify as a Wild Card. Arizona Wranglers 20 Texas Outlaws 17 The Wranglers had clinched the Southwest Division the week before, but a win in San Antonio and they would lock up the #1 seed, that bye week, and home field in steamy Tempe for the entire Western Playoffs. They got two early TDs from Jake Plummer and spent the second half feeding the ball to Stephen Davis and Dominic Rhodes, with the two racking up 111 combined yards. Texas tried to rally, getting a late Freddie Solomon TD, but three picks of Jeff Lewis kept the home team from pulling the upset. Arizona would be home cooking in the playoffs. New Jersey Generals 23 Philadelphia Stars 6 General-Star games are always a feisty affair, and this one was no exception. 17 combined penalties marred this game as the Stars tried to take out an entire season’s worth of frustration on New Jersey, but the Generals rose above it. They got 108 yards from HB Curtis Enis and avoided costly turnovers, helping them cruise to a comfortable win in a very uncomfortable environment in Lincoln Financial Field. The win locked up a bye for the boys from Jersey, a much needed rest after a bruising matchup with their biggest rival. Baltimore Blitz 12 Washington Federals 17 No playoffs on the line, but the winner could at least finish the season at 7-7 and say they did not have a losing season. In a game where neither club would see their starting QB on the field it was Shaun Hill for Washington against Jon Kitna for the Feds. Baltimore pushed the run game, with Ron Dayne finishing the year strong with 122 yards on 18 carries. Washington threw the ball more, with Kitna throwing 2 TD passes. With Baltimore unable to reach the endzone, Martin Grammatica’s kicks fell short as Washington won for pride. Oakland Invaders 20 Las Vegas Thunder 29 Las Vegas, under interim head coach Cam Cameron, showed they had a little fire left at the end of a long and unpleasant season. Sacking Trent Green 4 times and picking him off once, Las Vegas built up a 29-14 lead and held on to win. Akili Smith was back under center after the injury to Aaron Brooks last week. A free agent at the end of the week. Smith showed some talent and perhaps caught the eye of a team in the market for an athletic dual-threat QB. Black Monday The tradition of post-season firings and shakeups continued this year. Actually, it got off to a bit of an early start, as we have seen for several years now, when Joe Vitt was let go as the Head Coach in Las Vegas after a Week 13 shellacking from the Seattle Dragons. After Week 14’s season concluding action, two more coaches were provided with a pink slip as both Chan Gailey in Texas and Jim Mora Jr. in Philadelphia had too many notches in the loss column for ownership’s taste. In Jacksonville, the Bulls let Gunther Cunningham call the shots, so officially his departure is a resignation and not a firing, but it seems pretty obvious the pressure was there. And then, two days later, George O’Leary, longtime coach of the Renegades, with whom he won a title only 3 seasons back, also stepped down. O’Leary’s situation is an interesting one. The club has been in decline ever since their league title, but it did not appear that ownership was pressing O’Leary to give up command. He stepped down, but in so doing he arranged for his successor. At the same press conference where O’Leary announced that he was stepping away from the game (at least temporarily) it was announced that Renegade defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas, former head coach in Pittsburgh, would assume the mantle for the Renegades. So, Orlando loses a league title coach but has his replacement in house as the club continues to rebuild after another rough season. The same is not true in Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Texas and Jacksonville, where the search for a new Head Coach, and a new direction begin in earnest. Will this be a year where these USFL clubs jump on a current coordinator right away, perhaps sign an out-of-work former head coach, or will we see a club wait through the 2004 NFL fall season and then sign a coach just as camp opens? Every year is a bit of a crap shoot, so we shall see what happens over the next 5 months. Who’s to say, we may even see one of the men now out of a position get an immediate shot at a new position. Free Agency Some real surprises among the free agents whose contracts expired after Week 14. While some of the bigger names still have time to sign as they enter the postseason, there was no shortage of quality players who saw their ties to their current teams dissolve when the final whistle blew on Week 14. Some big names remained unsigned and can now play the field, or even jump to the NFL if the whim strikes. Among the bigger names now awaiting the official start of Free Agency we find playmakers like Texas WR Carl Pickens, Baltimore WR J.J. Stokes, and Philadelphia’s Bobby Engram. Texas could lose another contributor on offense as HB Brian Westbrook was not re-upped by the week’s end. But perhaps the biggest surprise of all the offensive skill players was Philadelphia QB Brian Griese. Other starters were somewhat expected to be allowed to test the market. Players like Akili Smith, Jeff Garcia, Marques Tuiasosopo or Rick Mirer were expected cap cuts, but Griese started all 14 games for the Stars and was among the Top 10 QBs in the league. We saw that Philadelphia was going to bring in a new Head Coach, and it also appears very likely that they will be looking for a new starter at QB as well. Other offensive players released included Birmingham center Mike Flanigan, LA fullback Shawn Bryson, Michigan fullback Zach Crockett, guard Tuten Reyes of Washington, and TE Fred Baxter of the Stallions. On the defensive side, perhaps the biggest departure was that of CB Ryan McNeill from Orlando, though some may argue that LA defensive tackle Norman Hand was a bigger loss. And what about the Panthers, who allowed both Greg Biekert and Ted Johnson go free from their LB corps. That is going to be a very different defensive lineup for Coach LeBeau next year. Of course, there are 10 teams who have at least one more week to get signatures on contracts, but at this late stage the lure of becoming a free agent could lead several players to reject any late contract talks and take their chances with the free market as soon as the playoffs end. Among the big name players still unsigned, we have to highlight league rushing champion Ahman Green, who simply turned away pitch after pitch from the Knights. Joining Green as a potential free agent are huge talents on the D-Line, as veterans Phil Hansen and Michael Sinclair both remain unsigned. Denver LB Chris Cowart is in this pool, as is CB James Trapp of Chicago, DT Darwin Walker in Chicago, SS JeRod Cherry in Arizona, and SS Sean Lumpkin of the Gold. Other offensive players to watch as the playoffs continue include WR Andre Rison in Pittsburgh, Robert Ferguson, who had a breakout year with Ohio but could seek a huge free agent contract. What about Duce Staley in Chicago? With Michael Turner cutting into his carries, will he ply the free agent sea? There are more names, of course, like QB Todd Boumann in New Jersey or C Jim Pyne in Chicago, and we expect some to sign before next week or whenever their team departs the playoffs, but any number of these mega-stars could be looking to cash in or cash out of the USFL and head to the fall. We will know soon enough. Rookie Standouts of 2004 Every year it seems we debate which rookies took their college game to the next level as first year pros. This year we identify 7 players who have turned heads in their first seasons of pro ball, starting on the offensive side. Only 1 rookie QB became a team starter, Big Ben Roethlisberger in Baltimore took over under center almost immediately and had some big games. He missed some action with minor injuries, but finished the year with 2300 yards passing, 19 TDs to 12 picks, and a rating of 87.7. Not bad for a rookie QB. Of the halfbacks in the class of 2004, it was Michael Turner, and not top pick Chris Perry, who put up the best numbers. Turner finished with 759 yards (15 more than teammate Duce Staley on 1 additional carry), while Perry, the primary back in Michigan, finished with only 519. Turner also excelled in the passing game, catching 14 balls for 169 yards. Of the receivers in this past year’s draft, we have to highlight two who made an immediate impact. The first was Larry Fitzgerald, who finds himself on the top seed Wranglers, gearing up for the divisional playoffs. The Pitt prospect finished with 56 catches for 692 yards and 5 TDs, trailing only Santana Moss on the Wranglers. The other is Roy Williams, the Texas product who stayed close to home with the Houston Gamblers. He too will be experiencing his first USFL postseason after finishing the year with 29 catches for 388 yards and 3 scores. On defense the big hubbub was about Sean Taylor signing with Pittsburgh, where he would finish 4th on the team with 66 tackles. Perhaps a bigger impact was made by Arizona’s top defensive find, LB Karlos Dansby, who finished the year with 58 tackles, 4 sacks and a pick. But the biggest impact was that of Tampa Bay’s rookie LB Jonathan Vilma, who racked up 74 tackles with the Bandits, while also securing 2 sacks, a pick, a safety, and a forced fumble. Not bad for these new pros. And while others may not have had breakout seasons as rookies, several flashed talent that may blossom in 2005, or even in this year’s playoffs, including QB Eli Manning (New Orleans), DE Jason Babin (Boston), LA defensive end Keneche Udeze, Memphis WR Lee Evans, and New Jersey LB Dontarrious Thomas. The Ol’ Ball Coach Brings Bandit Ball Back. With the best record in the league, a revived offensive swagger, and a pretty solid defense to boot, Steve Spurrier’s return to Tampa can only be called a complete triumph. Reminding fans who remember this far back of the 1983 squad that won the league’s first title game, the 2004 Bandits were brash and bold. They made big moves, like signing Daunte Culpepper away from the NFL, and those moves turned this 4-10 team into a 12-2 juggernaut. We saw a whole new culture forming in Tampa Bay this year, a culture willing to take risks, to go for the big play, and to hold each other accountable game in and game out. Coach Spurrier is a shoe in for Coach of the Year, returning to the team that already won him a spot in the USFL Hall of Fame. He could do even more in this triumphant tour if his Bandits can win the title in his first year. After leaving the USFL for the NFL and then the U. of Florida, Spurrier was never forgotten by Bandit fans, and their love for him helped bring him back to town to once again lead the club he helped design so many years ago. While John Bassett is not here to see how Spurrier has revived the Bandits, minority owner Burt Reynolds has been a vocal supporter of Spurrier, and is often seen at games, with that famous wry smile poking out from behind his big moustache. It is a good time to be a Bandit fan these days, just like the good ol’ days with the Ol’ Ball Coach. It took 14 weeks, but we now know the 12 teams that will compete in this year’s postseason, and we know who will be clashing with whom as we enter Wild Card Weekend. In the East the 6 teams were already known, but this week we learned that it will indeed be the Tampa Bay Bandits holding home field throughout the playoffs as their impressive 12-2 season leaves them as the conference’s top seed. New Jersey wins the other bye this weekend as the #2 seed. Ohio holds off Pittsburgh, thanks to a tiebreaker, to claim the final Division title and the right to host the #6 seed next week. Meanwhile Boston enters the postseason for the first time in franchise history, sitting at #4 and hosting the Pittsburgh Maulers in next week’s playoffs. Chicago finishes 6th, which means they get a visit to Ohio as their prize, but an Ohio squad that could still be without Kerry Collins or Joey Galloway. In the West, Arizona wrapped up the top seed with their win over Texas. They will take a week to rest and plan, as will Seattle, the other division winner to earn a bye for the Wild Card weekend. This marks the first time the Dragons have won the division, and now they get to scout out potential foes in the Wild Card round. Playing in this round are the Nashville Knights, winners of the Southern Division. They will be home against the #6 seeded Houston Gamblers. Will they face Doug Flutie or will Kris Kershaw get the start? The other matchup pits two Wild Card teams as the Denver Gold, having rested their starters in Week 14, will now get the New Orleans Breakers, who got Trent Dilfer back under center after only a 1 week hiatus. In case you were wondering what the sports books in Vegas think of this year’s playoffs, it is easy to see that they believe that the recent Eastern Conference dominance will continue. The East has won 6 of the last 7 titles, and Las Vegas is favoring Eastern teams quite heavily. Here are the odds to win it all this year, with Ohio dropping from a 4-1 frontrunner down to a 7-1 choice after the Collins injury. Tampa Bay 5-3 Pittsburgh 11-1 Boston 5-2 Denver 14-1 New Jersey 3-1 Chicago 16-1 Arizona 5-1 Nashville 20-1 Ohio 7-1 New Orleans 25-1 Seattle 9-1 Houston 35-1 We look ahead to our 4 Wild Card games and wonder who might just be conspicuous in their absence. Injuries can dramatically change a team’s prospects this time of year. That seems to be the case with our first eastern matchup, in which Chicago is only a 2-point underdog going into Ohio, thanks in large part to the injury report. CHI: T Marcus Spears (IR), CB James Trapp (Out), LB Tommy Polley (Ques) QB Jeff George (Prob), FS George Teague (Prob), DT Ted Washington (Prob) OHI T Jerry Wunsch (IR), QB Kerry Collins (Doubt), WR Joey Galloway (Doubt), LB Clint Kriewaldt (Doubt), DT Gabe Wilkins (Quest), DE Carl Powell (Prob) PIT G Rod Milstead (Out), LB Nick Koutavides (Prob) BOS DE Jason Babin (Out), LB Roman Pfifer (Out), T Jon Stinchcomb (Out), WR Cedric Wilson (Out), DE Greg Ellis (Doubt) HOU QB Matt Hasselbeck (IR), TE Ryan Krause (Out) NSH LB Hunter Hillenmeyer (Out), WR Derrick Mason (Out), DT Kris Jenkins (Doubt) DEN LB Dat Nguyen (Doubt), LB Alsherwood Singleton (Doubt), HB Rod Smart (Quest) SS Sean Lumpkin (Quest), QB Eric Wilhelm (Prob) NOR LB DeWayne Dotson (Out), HB Troy Davis (Out), QB Trent Dilfer (Quest), CB Ahmed Plummer (Prob) With the regular season coming to a close and 12 teams already turning to the offseason, it seems a good time to look ahead, even with the playoffs before us, and think about who may find themselves as a buyer in this year’s free agent period, and who may well end up having to trade away or simply release some talent to abide by the USFL’s salary cap. The cap was announced last month as having a more modest increase last year, up from $60M to only $62M, largely due to the reduced financial support that came with a reduction from 16 regular season games to 14. There is talk in the league that in 2006, with expansion up to 26 franchises and 28 on the way in 2008, that the league may well return to its original 16-game schedule, but for 2005 the impact of the league’s finances mean that there are clubs that are already well over the cap limit for next year, clubs that will have to find ways to reduce costs, either by restructuring contracts, or by releasing expensive players. That could be a boon for other clubs that have money to spare. We reviewed the financial releases of all 24 USFL clubs, and found the top and bottom 8 clubs when it comes to cap room. Not surprisingly, many of the clubs who will go over cap are those currently involved in the postseason, while many who are struggling now find themselves in a good position to acquire talent. Here, in brief, is where each of these 8 buyer and 8 seller clubs lie. Top 8 Teams with Strong Cap Room Texas--$13.96M Under the Cap. The Outlaws have money to burn, helped by Carl Perkins’s free agency status. This could make them one of the biggest buyers in the free agency pool. Pair that with a top draft pick and they could go a long way to rebuilding a competitive roster. Philadelphia: $13.17M Under the Cap. The Stars also find themselves with plenty of cap room, largely because Brian Griese’s contract has ended. But since they need both a QB and possibly a starting HB as well, they could spend that surplus quickly. Denver: $11.52M Under the Cap. No one is shocked to find the Gold on this list. They have made a killing over the years by producing winning teams with a low roster budget. We are honestly surprised when they actually splurge on a big free agent, which is rare. Arizona: $10.65M Under the Cap. This is a good sign for Wrangler fans. They are top seed in the West and they have money to get better next year. They are going to have to work on resigning Jake Plummer, which will cost a bit, but by building through the draft (Moss, Fitzgerald, Dansby) they have avoided the high price of free agents. Memphis: $9.11M Under the Cap. Memphis may be on the verge of a rebuild, and that does not usually come cheap. Good thing they have some wiggle room because they need to upgrade their receivers, their halfback position, and a big chunk of the D. Washington: $8.12M Under the Cap. Washington has room to make some upgrades, but since they are set at QB, HB, and #1 WR, they could focus on the O-line and still have money to spare. New Orleans: $4.45M Under the Cap. They were in much better shape before resigning Trent Dilfer, which still confuses us when we see how much they spent to sign Eli Manning. The good news for New Orleans is that they saved money on the Ricky Williams deal, and could cut him loose to open up even more money. Michigan: $1.65M Under the Cap. Michigan likely wishes they had more cap room, and they may get that if they can rework a few more contracts, but this may explain why they are letting two starting LBs go. It will free up room to bring in more young talent. Eight Teams That Most Need to Cut Cap. Seattle: $9.48M over the Cap. Seattle invested in the present, and they will pay in the future. That seems to be the case to be sure, but the future is coming up quickly. They can rework a few contracts to get under the cap, but they are unlikely to be able to sign an big free agents this offseason. New Jersey: $6.55M Over the Cap The Generals are hoping that they can free up some space, and they do have some older, more expensive veterans sitting on their bench. That may bring about a bit of a purge as they try to free up space for the rookie class. Boston: $5.76M Over the Cap. Boston went all in to sign Chad Ochocinco last year, and that certainly paid off, but now they have to wonder where they are going to find cap room for this year. One possible solution is to rework Drew Bledsoe’s deal. An extension could spread out his cap hit over a couple more seasons. Chicago: $4.44M Over the Cap. Chicago will gain some ground when the departure of Duce Staley hits the books, as he was one of their most expensive players, but resigning Curtis Conway and adding Donald Driver from Orlando put them in a bit of a bind for this offseason. Jacksonville: $3.75M Over the Cap. The Bulls roster hardly seems to have the quality to merit being over the cap limit, but that is where they are. The Bulls need to rework quite a few contracts for players who just have not lived up to the cost. If they can do that, they will be fine. Pittsburgh: $2.14M Over the Cap. Another team who will likely pop under the cap thanks to one big move, allowing Andre Rison to go into free agency. The problem is, if they don’t resign him they benefit with some cap room, but how do they replace him on the field? Tampa Bay: $2.06M Over the Cap. Yup, that is mostly Daunte Culpepper money. But how do you judge them harshly for that when you see the results. A decent bit of money management, restructuring, and perpaps 1-2 free agency departures and the Bandits will be back under the limit. Houston: $1.04M Over the Cap. Being $1M over the cap is really not much of an issue for a USFL club. They can get back in compliance without too much cutting, and they really don’t have any huge deals to restructure. Assuming that the band-aid that was the Doug Flutie contract does not lead to a 2nd year for the 40-year old, that alone could help Houston get back in the black. So much to say about these four games. So many stories, so many hopes. Let’s just get to it. #5 Pittsburgh (10-4) @ #4 Boston (10-4) Saturday, June 26 @ 3pm ET Alumni Stadium, Boston Two very evenly matched teams record-wise, but two very different teams style-wise. Boston comes in with the league’s top scoring offense, averaging 33.6 PPG, while Pittsburgh lives through ball control and defense, giving up only 20.1 points per game. The Maulers love to run the ball with Terrell Davis and Kenny Bynum, second in the league at 124 yards per game. Boston can run too (110 per game) but it is their passing attack with Bledsoe to Ochocinco that has made them special this year, averaging aleague best 298 yards per game, practically a 300-yard average. OUR PICK: We like the grit of the Maulers, but we think that Boston is going to be a lot to handle. We pick Boston to take this one 24-17. #6 Houston (7-7) @ #3 Nashville (8-6) Saturday, June 26 @ 7pm ET Adelphia Stadium, Nashville The fact that Houston is even here is a bit of a surprise. They average only 18 points per game on offense, and they have been without Matt Hasselbeck for the entire second half of the season. It looks like they might start 40-year old Doug Flutie, picked up only a little over a month ago after a 2-year hiatus. The reason Houston are here is that defense, 4th in the league with 49 sacks. As for Nashville, they are here for one reason, they can run the ball. Ahman Green has yet to resign with the club, and this could be his last game for the Knights, an absolute travesty if Nashville cannot sign him. Green can take over the game, and make life much easier for Todd Collins, because Houston cannot go all out on the pass rush if they have to worry about Green. OUR PICK: We think Nashville’s strength feeds well into some issues for Houston’s defense. If the Gamblers cannot get a fierce pass rush going, they are far less effective. Do we think Flutie could pull out some magic? Maybe, but we tend to look at who has better odds, without counting on magic, so we are going with the Knights to pull this out, 19-16. #6 Chicago (9-5) @ #3 Ohio (10-4) Sunday, June 27 @ 12pm ET Ohio Stadium, Columbus This game is all about the quarterbacks. Jeff George is scheduled to make the start, his first since his injury, while Kerry Collins cannot go in this one. That is a huge swing from what we might have expected earlier this season. Without Collins (or Galloway for that matter), the Glory are just not the same team that has consistently frustrated the Chicago Machine. This is Chicago’s chance to rise up, take it to the Glory, and knock their plans to threepeat to the curb. Of course, this assumes that Jeff George is truly ready to go and is not rushing back just to try to beat Ohio. OUR PICK: We think Ohio is in real trouble in this one. Chicago’s defense can be brutal, and it is an aggression that Ohio QB Chris Redman has just not seen before. It’s only a slight upset because Vegas is also concerned about Ohio, but we will go with the upset and pick Chicago to win this one 20-13. #5 New Orleans (7-7) @ #4 Denver (8-6) Sunday, June 27 @ 4pm ET Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver Trent Dilfer is able to play, and New Orleans will go with the vet, but going into Denver and snagging a win is not an easy feat. The Gold have one of the best defenses in the league yet again, ranked 4th in scoring and 3rd against the pass. They also know how to control the clock, third in the league with 115.8 yards per game on the ground and a short passing game that keeps the ball in their hands. New Orleans is without Ricky Williams (suspended) and Troy Davis (injured), so they are relying on Olandis Gary, Troy Hambrick, and Amos Zeroue to split carries. Averaging barely 80 yards per game on the ground, this will be up to Trent Dilfer to pull out with big plays in the passing game. OUR PICK: We are just not sure how prepared Dilfer will be for the Denver defense, their pass rush, or the conditions at altitude. It is just so much easier for Denver to prepare for what New Orleans can do than for the Breakers to prepare for Denver, so we give the nod to the Gold, 24-18.