The United Football League: Quality is Key
Monday, September 28, 2009 10:31
When asked how the talent level of UFL players would compare to the defunct XFL, UFL Commissioner Michael Huyghue asserted that UFL talent would be “far superior” to XFL talent because UFL rosters will consist primarily of players who were once on NFL rosters. NFL caliber talent is a stark contrast from the XFL, which consisted of a talent pool including a number of players that never made an NFL roster. The XFL was a chain of many weak links where the UFL seeks to reinforce its personnel with consistent strength in talent.
In addition to a stronger talent pool, the UFL will acquire many of its players fresh out of NFL training camps. UFL players will come ready for the UFL’s own training camp and the regular season beginning in October of 2009. Acquiring primed NFL players represents a significant upgrade over a Spring XFL football league that had an exceptionally brief training period. The initial XFL regular season games equated to a “pre-season,” in which XFL teams were testing players, cutting players, and signing new players to better fill out XFL rosters. The on-field XFL product suffered in the early going as a result of minimal player preparation.
The UFL intends to sign players off of the bottom half of NFL rosters, and various league affiliates have sited examples of players like Kurt Warner who began his NFL career as a long shot. Warner found his opportunity only by coming off of the bench to replace an injured Trent Green. Kurt Warner would go on to became an NFL MVP (twice), a pro bowl selection (four times), and play in three Super Bowls (winning one).
Understandably, many will question exactly how many Kurt Warners the UFL could expect to find sitting dormant on NFL benches. The truth is, not many. Warner was a rare find for St. Louis. However, the UFL maintains that the talent gap between the top half of an NFL roster is not as distant from the bottom half as many would think. Michael Huyghue proved this point when he assembled the Jacksonville Jaguars inaugural 1995 roster from players on the bottom half of other NFL rosters. Jacksonville would go on to reach the AFC Championship game in only the franchise’s second season and achieve several subsequent winning NFL seasons. Michael Huyghue intends to build a successful football league in the same manner that he built a successful Jacksonville Jaguars franchise, with untapped player talent.
The UFL continues to build on a solid foundation. The league began with highly successful investors (Bill Hambrecht and Tim Armstrong), acquired highly-qualified former NFL executives (Michael Huyghue and Frank Vuono), signed successful head coaches (Dennis Green and Jim Fassel), and continues to seek out the best talent available. The UFL increasingly appears to be molding itself into a league that may be more comparable to the NFL than the XFL.
6 Responses to “The United Football League: Quality is Key”
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Nate Barlow
says:
September 28th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
I completely forgot how the first few games of the XFL season basically was training camp, players being cut left and right. I actually attended the one and only XFL Championship Game, and the play hadn't improved much by then. It was played at the LA Coliseum, and there weren't even seats filled in the endzone.
Gairzo
says:
September 28th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Wow, Ron….
I gotta say, you're a glass half-full kinda guy…
Several points, both Jacksonville an Carolina were given prime and supplemental picks in the draft. They also took advantage of free agency which did not exist for Tampa and Seattle in the '70s.
Also, in '94 the NFL had 28 teams. The "last cut" guys were often high caliber players. In '02, when the league expanded to 32 teams that meant about 200 players were then taken from the last cut pool and put on NFL roster–further diluting the "quality" talent pool.
I'm a Steeler fan, so I'll just give you one anecdotal example from this year. Bruce Davis was a 3rd round pick linebacker in '08 outta UCLA. He had great credentials. For whatever reason, he couldn't make the transition to the pros and was cut earlier this month.
Nobody has picked him up and there are plenty of NFL teams that could use a quality linebacker.
Also, if you look league-wide at teams' practice squads very few players have been poached from those squads. If the talent pool was as quality laden as you say, teams like Cleveland, Detroit, and St. Louis would be raiding other teams' practice squads–even with the rule that said player must remain on their rosters. Detroit and St. Louis, and Cleveland can all suck with unproven young players–who won't cost as much. Yet, you don't see them raiding practice squads.
All of the above points to a very diluted talent pool. Today's last cuts lack the level that same pool had in '94 for Jax and Carolina–a pool significantly depleted further when Cleveland and Houston reincarnated.
UFL brain trusts won't be picking from the leagues "bottom half" more like the bottom eighth.
Another example from Pittsburgh. Raw, unheralded Ike Redman was a phenom in the pre-season–four rushing touchdowns, good blocker, unbelievable worker. Just making the practice squad of an NFL team proves you're a quality talent, or, at minimum, you have enough talent too make an NFL roster.
How many Ike Redmans are going to sign with a league that will barely match what they get paid now for a chance to be seen on a second rate cable channel–DirectTV just dropped Versus–when at least one NFL club believes they have a future in the majors?
Your glass is half full of that Kool-Aid.
Ron
says:
September 29th, 2009 at 3:12 am
I realize I am being optimistic here, and I think my statements will be more true in season two.
I am a Redskins fan, so I am really hoping the UFL pans out. :)
Ron
says:
September 29th, 2009 at 3:18 am
The XFL Championship was not a good game because the piss-poor, 5-5 San Francisco Demons managed to squeak through the post-season. Chicago and Orlando were much better teams (for whatever that is worth). The quality of play in the XFL did improve as the season progressed.
Nate Barlow
says:
September 29th, 2009 at 4:18 am
My sympathies. Rough week.
Ron
says:
October 9th, 2009 at 1:01 am
The United Football League's inaugural game between the California Redwoods and Las Vegas Locomotives at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada is Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 9:00 PM EST on the Versus Network or webcast here http://www.ufl-football.com/versus.html