This weekend the UFL (United Football League) will kick off. Two spring leagues of the past, USFL and the XFL, united into one football league. Two leagues that had 8 teams each. If you do the math, that comes out to 16 teams. The new spring league took 4 teams from the old leagues to form 8 teams. The old argument over which league was better is over. All the best players are now fully loaded 8 rosters which could mean anyone can beat anyone on any given Saturday or Sunday. Since we could not figure out which teams will rise to the top in this league, we outsourced the problem and went with a local Gypsy.

USFL CONFERENCE

I like the Birmingham Stallions winning the USFL conference division because they are the team that has the most players that have experience in the NFL. Skip Holtz returns to coach the Stallions, and he has done very well winning back to back championships in the last two seasons in the USFL. Holtz will try for the three-peat with his third different quarterback. Matt Coral, who was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the 3rd round of the NFL draft in 2022, gets the nod at starter. Holtz still has his QB1 from 2022, J’Mar Smith, who led the Stallions all the way that first season of the USFL. Holtz gets the best out of his quarterbacks as Alex McGough was the MVP of the USFL last year. McGough found a new job backing up Jordan Love in Green Bay. The Stallions did not have many weaknesses the last two seasons. They did address their defense by drafting some talented guys off teams that folded. They still have the main core the last two seasons. Birmingham had the biggest fan bases in the USFL which will help them during their home games as always.

The Memphis Showboats I like grabbing the number two playoff seed in the USFL conference. First thing is the Showboats no longer have Todd Haley as their head coach. Haley is pond scum. They hired the former New Orleans Breakers head coach John DeFilippo who will bring a solid offensive scheme to the Showboats. The Showboats also improved their quarterback position drafting Cookus Case, the former Philadelphia Stars man behind center. Cookus was one of the best quarterbacks in the USFL the last two seasons. This time he will be protected with an offensive line, not the broken down turnstyle he had with the Stars. The Showboats defense jelled after a rocky start in the first two weeks. The Showboats still have Carnell Lake as their defensive coordinator. The Showboats still have their core guys from last year. Head Coach DeFilippo drafted some of his former Breakers players which include outside linebacker Vontae Diggs, who will be a force with his new team. You know Coach Lake is licking his chops with Diggs. The Showboats have play makers& with Cookus behind center could be a top 4 team easily.

HOW THE USFL SHAKES OUT IN THE STANDINGS

TEAMS	WINS	LOSSES
Birmingham Stallions	8	2
Memphis Showboats	6	4
Michigan Panthers	4	6
Houston Roughnecks	3	7

XFL CONFERENCE

XFL CONFERENCE WINNER: ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS

I like the St.Louis BattleHawks winning the XFL conference division because they have the best quarterback in the UFL, AJ McCarron. McCarron works well with the BattleHawks head coach, Anthony Becht. Reminds me of Drew Brees and Sean Payton’s relationship back in the days when New Orleans Saints were winning lots of games each season, The UFL championship game will be hosted in St. Louis which will give this BattleHawks team extra motivation to get there. The fan base of St.Louis by far the biggest in the UFL from past years. Nobody wants to play the BattleHawks in St.Louis.

Second seed in the XFL Conference: DC Defenders

I like St.Louis arch rival DC Defenders taking the second playoff seed in the XFL conference. The Defenders beat the BattleHawks twice last year. The Defenders will have back their starting quarterback from last season in Jordan Ta’amu. They also have the XFL head coach of the year in Reggie Barlow. Barlow uses a power run game with his duel threat quarterbacks. He also has an optimistic defense that can take advantage of mistakes from opposing offenses and cash in. The defense will still be run by Greg Williams, the director of the old New Orleans Saints bounty gate scandal. The Defenders had the best record in regular season last year. They made it all the way to the championship to lose to the Renegades of Arlington in the first XFL title game since 2001. The Defenders have a solid fan base in Washington, a drunken crowd out having fun as they invented the beer snake. A large snake made out of beer cups.

HOW THE XFL CONFERENCE SHAKES OUT IN THE STANDINGS

TEAMS	WINS	LOSSES
St. Louis BattleHawks	7	3
DC Defenders	6	4
Arlington Renegades	5	5
San Antonio Brahmas	2	8

I like the two top dogs meeting in the first UFL championship game.

St.Louis BattleHawks versus Birmingham Stallions in the first ever UFL Championship. I have AJ McCarron doing his Tom Brady impression winning a championship in his own stadium like he did when he played for the Buccaneers. Unless the Stallions have a three-peat on their minds. I like the idea of the Stallions on the road in the hostile environment. If you remember, the Stallions were the hub city in the first ever USFL reboot season. They were the only team that built up a fan base that season. They were a hub team again last year with other teams getting their status as well. The Stallions did win their championships in Canton, Ohio on neutral ground.

I like the USFL conference making the history in the first season of the UFL. Birmingham wins their third championship in a row. This as they complete the three-peat with three different quarterbacks as well.

The knock on these spring football leagues is the play behind center. The quarterback position. Since 2019, the spring fling had numerous leagues trying to establish football after the NFL season. The American Alliance Football League in 2019, XFL Reboot 2020, USFL Reboot in ’22, The return of the XFL part 3 in ’23, and the USFL season two. Now we have the merger of the XFL and the USFL transforms into the new Optimus Prime, the UFL (United Football League.) The UFL will have retreads of quarterbacks that have played for years in these spring football affairs. The league will showcase some guys that have made NFL rosters as a back up but never got their chance to play. Abandoned on the practice squad for most of these guys. With the merger of both leagues that had 16 teams total being condensed down to 8 teams, the rosters are better going into the first ever UFL. With that said, you’re getting rid of lots of junk behind center over the last few years if you watched the spring formal on the weekends while you did your laundry. The top quarterbacks from these leagues from the past are with some new blood and potentially up and coming talent and solid rosters. As a result, we may see some pretty good play behind center for a change. I ranked the potential starter for each team. I warn you teams could make a change before kick-off happens this weekend. I will start from the highest ranking QB on my list to the weakest link. The first face is very familiar.

#1. AJ MCCARON ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS, AGE 33

AJ McCaron has the most experience behind center with 7 seasons in the NFL. He has made 4 starts in the NFL in those 7 seasons as he played in 19 games. Last season he played his lone season in the XFL & then went back to the NFL where he played in 2 games for the Cincinnati Bengals. Last season McCaron broke Tommy Maddox’s old 2001 XFL record with 24 touchdown passes. McCaron completed 203-295 which is 68.8% of his passes completed. He tallied up 2,150 passing yards and almost had St. Louis in the playoffs. McCaron is a no brainer as the number 1 QB going into this first UFL season.

#2.LUIS PEREZ ARLINGTON RENEGADES, AGE 29

Luis Perez is the King of the Spring Fling. Perez has played in every spring league starting with the Birmingham Iron in 2019. Perez in 2020 played in the XFL for the New York Guardians. In 2022 he played in the USFL for the New Jersey Generals of the USFL. Last year started with the Vegas Vipers & then he was traded to the Renegades. For the Renegades, Perez took the keys to the car as they made the post-season and went all the way to the championship game to win it all. Perez learned how to play quarterback looking at YouTube videos. He played college ball at Texas A&M Commerce which is division II. He had invites to NFL camps: the Rams and Eagles. He has even bowled a perfect game in bowling. Perez has started 22 games in Spring football and has a record of 14-8. He’s 2-1 behind center in the post-season.

#3.CASE COOKUS MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS, AGE 28

Case Cookus played the last two seasons in the USFL out of Northern Arizona University. Cookus was not drafted as he latched on to multiple NFL teams and went to camp only to get cut by these teams. Cookus played the last two seasons for the Philadelphia Stars. He led the Stars all the way to the championship in 2022. The Stars were winning that championship game versus the Stallions late in the second half. Cookus got hurt & left the game. The Stallions ended up prevailing at the end. In two seasons, Cookus has tallied 3,629 passing yards with 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Cookus is a gunslinger who will sometimes force the football into coverage and get picked off. He has that mentality to try to make the big play. Sometimes it works out.

#4. JORDAN TA’AMU DC DEFENDERS, AGE 26

Jordan Ta’amu is another guy that has bounced around these spring football leagues. Ta’amu played his college ball at Ole Miss. He was not drafted in the NFL. In 2020 he played for the St.Louis Battlehawks in the XFL and was the only starter in the league with no professional experience. He did pretty good. In 2022, he was a starter for the Tampa Bay Bandits in the USFL. Last season Ta’amu led the DC Defenders to a 9-1 record in the XFL. Ta’amu would get the Defenders to the championship game only to find themselves on the losing end and getting beat by Luis Perez and the Renegades. Last year Ta’amu threw 14 touchdown passes for the Defenders and had only 3 interceptions as he tallied up 1,878 passing yards. Ta’amu is a duel threat quarterback as he found the end zone three times with his legs.

#5. MATT CORRAL BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS, AGE 25

The Stallions have two choices as their stating quarterback, Matt Corral or J’Mar Smith. Smith is a duel threat quarterback who’s better with his legs than his arm. Smith led the Stallions over the Stars in the first USFL reboot champion in 2022. Last year the Stallions had the MVP of the USFL behind center, Alex McGough, who made the Packers team in 2023. Corral had a very good college career at Ole Miss. He was MVP of the Outback Bowl in 2021. Corral did sustain an injury in the Sugar Bowl that may have set him back after a 10-2 regular season. He was still drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, number 94 overall. In pre-season for the Panthers, Corral suffered a Lisfranc injury and landed on the season ending injured list. Corral was released in August of 2023 and picked up by the Patriots. His Patriots career did not last long as he left the team’s building without notice. The Patriots did not hear from him for 2 days. They got rid of him. Under Skip Holtz, I think you may see the old Corral from Ole Miss. If the Corral experiment goes south, Smith can be inserted into the starter’s role.

#6. REID SINNETT HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS, AGE 27

Reid Sinnett has been hanging on NFL teams’ practice squads for the last few years. He has never thrown a pass in the NFL. He was not even drafted. Sinnett played his college ball at San Diego University. Last season he appeared in one game for the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL. He started the game which resulted in a loss for the Brahmas. Sinnett completed 13-19 passes for 97 yards & had 1 touchdown pass and 1 interception. The Brahmas did not have much of an offensive line so they had to dink and dunk. Sinnett would suffer a broken foot and be placed on injured reserve. He has gotten his feet wet in spring football and must have done a solid job to get the starting nod for the Roughnecks this season.

#7.DANNY ETLING MICHIGAN PANTHERS AGE 29

Danny Etling was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 2018 NFL draft as he was selected in round 7 219th overall. Etling holds the record for longest QB run in pre-season history for the New England Patriots. That was not enough to get him a gig in Boston. Etling traveled around the NFL trying to get a job as he was in and out of camps before they put his name on the locker. Some teams he had second stints with but resulted in the same outcome. Etling lasted 3 weeks on the BC lions of the Canadian Football League before getting his walking papers. Etling was drafted out of LSU in 2017 & he was 9-4 as the starter. You never know, maybe Etling has found a home and has learned things over the last few years taking tidbits here and there from coaches and inserting them in his own game.

#8.CHASE GARBERS SAN ANTONIO BRHAMAS, AGE 24

It looks like Chase Garbers will be the youngest starting quarterback in the UFL to start this new merger. Garbers just won the job as it was announced this week, and he’s only 24 years old. The Brahmas have Quinten Dormady who started multiple games last year for the Orlando Guardians of the XFL if Garbers fails to deliver. Garbers played his college ball at the University of California. Garbers was not drafted in the NFL but has lived on and off the practice squad for the Las Vegas Raiders. Garbers even was activated when the Raiders benched Derek Carr. Garbers was promoted to the back up spot behind Jarrett Stidham. You can say Garbers has at least stayed with one franchise in the NFL not being cut or released by different teams over and over like other guys in the UFL. Maybe he soaked in enough knowledge from Carr and Stidham to use it in his own game. We will wait and see.

The Birmingham Stallions were resurrected from the original 1980’s USFL United States Football League. The USFL was rebooted in 2022 and the Stallions captured back to back championships. The Stallions would go on to survive the merger of the USFL and the XFL, which now is called the UFL, United Football League. Both leagues had 8 teams each. Both leagues merged and are only keeping 8 teams as 8 teams folded for now & players were thrown in a draft for the surviving teams to pick from. The Stallions were able to keep their core guys that have helped them win two championships in the USFL. The Stallions want the three peat & they are bringing Taco Tuesday to Alabama. In a savvy move by the Stallions, they are signing former first round draft pick Taco Charlton to bolster their defense for another championship run.

His real name is Vidauntae Charlton who goes by Taco. Charlton was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft in 2017 28th overall by the Dallas Cowboys. Charlton played his collegiate ball with the University of Michigan. Charlton’s junior season with the Wolverines, he played in 13 games & had 30 tackles while racking up 5.5 sacks. Then his senior year he was named to the First Team All Big Ten. Taco made a name for himself. He had 40 tackles with ten sacks in 2016. The Cowboys thought he would be a sure thing to give them a pass rusher that can kill the quarterback. Charlton’s college stats were solid in 46 games. He had 93 tackles which 28 of them were for a loss. He had 19 sacks, 2 pass deflections, and forced a fumble. Charlton would not have the same success in the NFL as he played parts of six seasons with 5 teams. In his first season as a Cowboy, he played 16 games & racked up 3 sacks. Taco mania was over after two seasons in Dallas. In year three of his NFL career, he signed with the Dolphins where heplayed in ten games, started 5, and racked up 5 sacks. His best year in the NFL. Last time Taco was part of the sack stat was 2021 with the Steelers when he registered a half of sack. After the Dolphins, he played 1 season with the Chiefs. His last season came with the Bears in 2022 in 5 games with 3 tackles of which one was solo. Taco has played in 60 total NFL games and has tallied 11.5 sacks, 54 solo tackles, and forced 4 fumbles.

The thing about these spring football leagues is it helps players that were not selected in the NFL develop their skills. These spring leagues have developed some guys that just needed to play some professional games. The NFL has gobbled up that talent from these spring leagues. The UFL and the rest of the spring flings help guys like Taco Charlton get back to the NFL. Last year Reuben Foster suited up for the Pittsburgh Maulers.

Foster was drafted in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers number 31 overall. Foster had some off the field issues and injuries sidelined him. Foster is another guy who was talented in college and showed some flashes of brilliance on the NFL field. He has not made it back to the NFL but had a nice year with the Maulers last year as they went to the USFL championship and lost to the Birmingham Stallions. Foster had 53 tackles last year, 5 sacks, and an interception. Since Maulers folded up shop in this merger, Foster will play this season in the UFL with the Houston Roughnecks. Foster is only 29 years old and he wants to be playing football, so the UFL checks all the boxes right now.

Taco Charlton is also only 29 years old and the Stallions could be the ticket he needs to get back to the NFL. He could also just enjoy being back on the football field like Reuben Foster. The Stallions team has a solid roster with the core returning and the some new intriguing pick ups. Taco will be challenged in a good way. The Stallions head coach Skip Holtz can get the best out of his team. I can see Holtz finding ways to get the best out of Taco. Find that college version of Charlton and unleash the beast on the field at the opposing quarterbacks in the UFL. Just the motivation Charlton should have to be on a competitive team and work hard to gel with the team, rise up to the challenge, and help this Stallions team win games. Some of these guys just need to play the game and remove the heavy burden of having to be in the NFL off their shoulders. If he can remove that pressure from his mind set and leave everything on the field, he could be getting some interest from NFL teams by next season. Get the football juices flowing and eventually everything will take care of itself. The Stallions defense will serve up Tacos and Scooby Snacks this first season of the merger. Scooby Wright, the line backer for the Stallions’ last two seasons, is looking to get back on the field as injuries set him back last season. The Stallions get my vote for having the best names on their defense.

I remember when Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals laid on the turf after the closer Aaron Donald put Joe Cool down in Superbowl LVI to close out the game and give the Rams the victory. PRICELESS!! The trash talking Bengals were taken out to the curb by the Rams wrecking machine, defensive tackle Aaron Donald. No cigar for Burrow as his ego deflated in the loss. Donald, since arriving in the NFL when he was drafted back when the Rams played in St.Louis back in 2014, has been the face of the defense. He instantly became the face of their the Rams franchise and was a big part of getting LA to two Superbowls. He racked up 111 sacks in ten seasons. Donald, like Barry Sanders, made the Pro Bowl each season they played. Donald, like Sanders, one of the best running backs of all-time as Aaron & one of the best at his positions of all-time, will hang up the spikes for good after ten seasons in the NFL. At the age of 32 years old, Donald says “I’m full,” and will retire from the grid iron set to write a new chapter in his life whatever that is.

Aaron Donald last year had 8 sacks with 28 solo tackles as he takes on double teams every game that opposing offenses scheme to block him in their game plan. Donald has not lost a step as he played in 154 career games and did not miss many. Donald is a guy that prepares his body into tremendous football shape 365 days a year so he can play at a high level each play on the field. No plays he runs half arsed. He has played for two cities since being drafted in St. Louis after two seasons in the Arches town, the Rams moved to the west coast and became LA again. He came in & won the Rookie of the Year. Donald is an 8x all-pro. He was named Hall of Fame to the all 2010’s decade team. He is a 3x AP Defensive Player of the Year. In 2018, Donald had 20.5 sacks in regular season as no one could stop him because he was a wrecking ball to opposing teams’ offensive linemen. Donald’s career regular season stats he has 340 solo tackles. Total of 543 tackles in all. He forced 24 fumbles & recovered 7 total. He leaves the Rams as the all-time leader in sacks. Deacan Jones played with the Rams from 1961-71 and he did tally 173.5 total sacks but played for other teams. Sacks were not an official stat at the time when Jones played. Leonard Little is second all-time for Donald as he played in a Rams uniform from 1998-2009 and tallied 87.5 sacks. Kevin Greene, who made the Hall Of Fame in 2016, had 72.5 sacks in Rams uniform. Fred Dryer, aka Hunter, a football player turned actor had 74 sacks in his ten seasons as a Ram, but the stat did not count when he played.

Donald would finish number 28 all-time on the NFL sack list with those 111 as Bruce Smith, former Bills defensive end, leads the NFL with 200. Donald would have climbed those charts easily and could have been in the top ten all-time if he continued to play.

Calvin Johnson aka Megatron was one of the most feared wide receivers in the game when he played. He lasted 9 seasons in the NFL and walked away early. Johnson and Barry Sanders, X-Lions, hung up the spikes early but both became Hall Of Famers because like Aaron Donald, they came in and left the league making a impact for their team in every game every year for their team. Sanders was 1,500 yards short of Walter Payton’s career rushing record when he walked away.

Now the record belongs to Dallas Cowboy Emmitt Smith, who could even hold Sanders or Payton’s jock. You better believe Donald will be a first ballot Hall of Famer when his name first appears on the ballot. “I’m Complete, I’m burn’t out and it’s time to move on,” he said when Donald broke the news about his time being up on the gridiron.

I don’t think any experts had the Rams even making the playoffs as they were a wild card last year. The Rams team has been gutted like a fish from their Superbowl team that has now many younger players that have shown they have talent. The Rams would lose to the Detroit Lions in the wild card round. The Rams could be on the rise again, but Donald leaving could set them back. Who knows? Sean McVay has shown he is one of the best head coaches in the game. Donald is what winning teams need… a closer. Every team needs a stud at the quarterback position. If your team does not have the ball at the end of a game, they need a guy like Donald to close out the victory like he did to Joe Burrow in that Superbowl. Donald has done that in many games as he registered 260 Quarterback hits. A sack is the bomb. Sometimes a hit or the pressure can do wonders messing with the opposing quarterback’s mind set. Donald was one of the best closers in the game. I love the work ethic. I love the mind set to walk away at the right time. Some guys hang on too long and by the time they get released, it looks bad. Or in another uniform at the end it looks bad. Donald played his entire career in a Rams uniform, and I always like guys like that. Not a Rams fan, but they have had some great players like every team. They have guys like Aaron Donald and Kurt Warner with his under dog story that you do become fans of these guys. I will mention Fred Dryer even though I did not see him play. Chris Everett, not the tennis player, who punched Jim Rome for mocking him about being the female athlete with the same name.

Everett played quarterback for the Rams in the late 1980’s into the 1990’s and still owns top passing records for the LA franchise. Everett won some big games in a Rams uniform. Donald will go down as a rock star because he helped the Rams to three NFC Championships. Two Superbowls. Winning one of them. The loss came to Tom Brady and the Patriots which has happened to many teams. In the most boring Superbowl ever, it was a 13-3 loss. Think about that. Donald’s defense held Brady’s offense to only 13 points. If you told me before, I would say the other team would win the game. Many franchises can’t say they even made it to the Superbowl in the last ten seasons. If you want to be the best at what you do, Aaron Donald’s work ethic and passion is what you want in your daily life to succeed.

As I watched Oakland University pull off the biggest upset so far of the March Madness NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, my thoughts drifted to California. The city of Oakland getting their sports teams ripped away from them in front of their eyes. The Raiders already being established in Sin City for the last few years. The city’s baseball team the Athletics will be following the Raiders to Las Vegas as they will most likely play their last season in Oakland this season. I thought of all the people in the town of Oakland, California being represented by a small University. A number 14 seed taking it to a college basketball factory like Kentucky. Then I find out the Golden Grizzlies from Oakland University are located in Rochester, Michigan. Did Oakland University leave Oakland, California and relocate? Not quite. I’m sure the citizens and sports fans of Oakland, California couldn’t resist rooting for a smaller school with the same name of their town. They need something to avert their attention away from the cesspool owners that have ripped their hearts and souls away from the teams they invested all their time into over the years as an outlet to distract from life in general. That’s the greatest thing about the March Madness Tournament, watching games unfold where the underdog is the small town. The school no one ever heard of beats the mighty Wild Cats. The town of Rochester, Michigan has to be excited to see the town’s University, Oakland, win their first ever tournament game in their basketball history that was not a play-in game.

When it comes to March Madness, we love to see the Cinderella teams thrive. The Golden Grizzlies team checks all those boxes for a University that everyone thought was from the West Coast, but is actually in the Midwest. Oakland University has the longest tenured Head Coach in Men’s college basketball. Since Jim Boeheim of Syracuse University retired last year after 47 seasons, now the title belongs to Greg Kampe who’s 68 years old. Kampe has been the Head Coach at Oakland University since 1984 and has 40 years on the job. He transitioned the Golden Grizzlies basketball program from Division II to Division I. Kampe brought the Golden Grizzlies to their first March Madness tournament back in 2005. The Golden Grizzlies would beat Alabama A&M in the first four play in round in a battle of two 16 seeds. Then the Golden Grizzlies would lose in the first round of 64 teams to North Carolina. The Golden Grizzlies had back to back years in 2009 and 2010 where they came away with losses in the first round. The last three tournament appearances for the Golden Grizzlies resulted in losses until last night Kampe’s squad made all kinds of history for the University, his own self, and one of his players – Jack Gohlke. Kampe has a winning record in 40 years as the Head Coach at Oakland University. He is 699-536. That is a lot of games at one place. That is a lot of games as a coach in basketball.

This is not the first time the Kentucky Wildcats were ousted in the first round by a team that has never won a tournament game. St. Peter’s on March 18,2022 was the 15th seed and Kentucky was the number 2 seed. St. Peter’s prevailed in overtime 85-79. Kentucky yesterday came into the tournament as a number 3 seed and Oakland University from the start of the game looked like the top seed instead of the 14th seed. The Golden Grizzlies had the lead on the Wild Cats at half time, 38-35. This happens all the time where the power houses will dance around the ring with these nobodies exchanging baskets and then in the second half beat them like a red headed step child. No one told the script to Jack Gohlke because he became the 5th player in NCAA tournament history to make 10 or more three pointers in one game. Gohlke finished 10-20 at the down town range. He ended up having 32 points which is a career high for Gohlke. Out of those 32 points, he did not have a 2 point basket. All three pointers and two free throws. He tied a record for most points in NCAA history without making a 2 point basket.

John Calipari is a snake oil salesman dressed up as a college coach. With the loss in the first round, Calipari’s Wildcats are now 1-4 in the last 5 tournament games. Calipari gets the talented players from all over the country every year. Every year most of these players are one year and done and head to the NBA. The smaller university played defense last night and the mighty Wildcats’ flaw in their game was they did not play good defense. The Golden Grizzlies got the shots they desired. They went 15-31 from down town as a team. The Wildcats came into the tournament as one of the best 3 pointer shooting teams in the entire tournament. The Golden Grizzlies play defense making every three the Wildcats shot much more difficult. It was a close game throughout the second half. Whatever big lead Oakland University would have, sudden disappeared as the Wildcats came right back. Most teams facing a big college basketball factory would crumble under the pressure to keep the lead intact. The Golden Grizzlies kept playing solid defense and making their shots off the offense. The game was still back and forth at the 5 minute mark. Then at the 3 minute mark, the Golden Grizzlies were building a lead and not backing down. Eventually some key free throws in the last minute of the game kept the two score game which the Wildcats could not overcome as time was up. The Golden Grizzlies are moving on. While Calpari will be heading to the factory and will have his new starting line up built for next year.

Calipari’s present starters will be of off to the NBA. While Head Coach Greg Kampe, win or lose in the next round, will be happy the way things went for the University this go around over the past times. If his team loses, he will not jump ship for the better job because of the upset to Kentucky. He will be back at the drawing board hitting the pavement recruiting in efforts of trying to improve the team he has. Trying to figure out how to replace key seniors. This is his livelihood. I hope he knocks out a few more basketball power houses and I want to see the University of Oakland become those bracket busters the rest of the way.While Calipari will be purchasing a new set of snake skin dress shoes so his university can continue to kiss his arse and pay him all the money as a slime in the college basketball racket. Go Golden Grizzlies!!!Every Oakland town is rooting for you, as we live through your team, as you give these basketball factories a taste of their own medicine. Doing things the right way. Hard work.

Last week DeMar DeRozan put up 46 points versus the Indiana Pacers to give the Chicago Bulls an overtime victory of 132-129. The Bulls have been hovering around for that chance to land the final spot in post-season or a chance at a whatever the NBA is doing things in today’s post-season format. DeRozan has been in the NBA for 15 seasons with three different organizations. With those 46 points, DeRozan passed up three players on the All-Time NBA points list in one game. Those players are Elgin Baylor, Dwayne Wade, and Adrian Dantley. DeRozan has tallied up 23,242 points which now is good for number 32nd all-time in NBA history. DeRozan by the end of his career may be in the top 20 on the all-time scoring list. DeRozan is a player who can create his own shot and he can put points on the board. He has longevity in the league playing at a high level at 34 years of age. However he’s always been in the wrong place at the wrong time in his NBA career in terms of chances to win championships.

Demar DeRozan was drafted by the Toronto Raptors in the 1st round of the 2009 NBA draft as he was 9th overall out of USC. DeRozan played his first 9 seasons with the Raptors and he earned the nick name Mr. I’Am Toronto. During the summer of 2018, DeRozan was traded to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Lenard. Lenard was the final piece of the puzzle for the Raptors to win their first ever championship in 2019. DeRozan, before going to San Antonio, played with some pretty good Raptors teams that were pretty close. He would find out the hard way in 2019 with the addition of Lenard that was the key to that championship. Usually San Antonio is a pretty good place to play with guys like David Robinson and Tim Duncan, winning championships who are now Hall of Famers. The Spurs have long time head coach Gregg Popovich. The Spurs won their first championship in 1999 as they won 5 total. In 2003, 2005, 2007, and finally in 2014. During DeRozan’s time in San Antonio for three seasons, it was dark times for him mentally. He was dealing with his father’s sickness. Then the passing of the man that brought him into the world. Mentally DeRozan was trying to find his NBA game, his perspective in life and what everything meant. He was obviously shell shocked with the trade from Toronto, a place he thought he was going to play his entire NBA career. Then the Raptors winning it all has to have a person second guessing everything like a break up with your first love. The feeling is naturally that it’s the end of the world . The sky is falling kind of shit.

After three seasons in San Antonio, Demar DeRozan would find a new home in Chicago wearing a Bulls uniform in the 2021-22 season. The Spurs and the Bulls would make a deal that would bring DeRozan to the Windy City. The Bulls gave DeRozan a nice long term contract to play with Zach LaVine. The Bulls had a new front office in place with a veteran coach working the side lines in his second season, Billy Donavan. The Bulls added a nice free agent pick up in Lonzo Ball. With Ball on the court, the Bulls were 22-13. Ball’s season would end with an knee injury. Ball had a torn meniscus. He has not returned to the court since that season as they even tried cartilage transplant in the knee. His career is most likely over. The Bulls finished the 2021-22 season with a 46-36 record and made the post-season for the first time since the 2016-17 season. The Bulls were the 6th seed and lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. If Ball was healthy, the Bulls may have had a higher seed and could have avoided Milwaukee in that first round. The next season the Bulls record was 40-42 and they qualified for the play in tournament in attempt to make post-season. The Bulls would beat the Raptors but lose to the Heat the next game which ended their season.

In 2015, the Chicago Bulls needed a guy like DeMar DeRozan, a guy who can create his own shot along side Derek Rose in his hey day. That year the Bulls made it to the conference finals as they played Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Bulls played King James tough but Cavaliers prevailed. The Bulls are probably not going to make any noise in the Eastern Conference even if they make the post-season this season. The team has some of the same cast as the 2021-22 team. Zach LaVine is being paid superstar money and has not been Superman-like on the hardwood. DeRozan seems like the entire offense on most nights when the Bulls battle teams and win. They’ve shown they can beat good teams and lose clunkers to the bottom feeders. Not sure what this franchise has to do to fix this team. Most likely gut the team and start over in another rebuild. Maybe DeRozan finds that championship attempt with another team. Could DeRozan still be the scoring machine with others like himself that can score points on a playoff caliber team that can get deep into post-season? I think he can still get his share point on either a good, bad, or just ugly NBA team. He should easily creep up on the NBA scoring list as next in line is Hall of Famer Robert Parish with 23,334 points. Stephen Curry is still playing and is climbing the scoring list as well. He is ahead of Parish. DeRozan can also pass up another NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley by next season as he has 23,757 points. DeRozan could land on the mailman’s list Karl Malone. One of the best at delivering points to the basket but not winning a championship as Sir Charles Barkley is definitely on that list as well. I know the Chicago Bulls and just sports in Chicago in general. The Bulls will not be able to find the right pieces to give DeRozan a deep playoff push. He will have to leave town if he wants a ring. Maybe he will stay in Chicago until the end of his career and just keep doing what he does hovering around the 8th spot in the Eastern conference. At the end he may be in the top 20 all-time scoring list and a chance at the NBA Hall of Fame. When he leaves Chicago or retires from the game, I bet any money we will have another guy that can play well. We will suggest we need another guy like DeRozan that can create his own shot with the next player the Bulls build around.

How long has the writing been on the walls that the Bears were going to trade Justin Fields as they have owned the number one draft pick in April? Ryan Poles, the General Manager of the Bears, was playing a hot hand of poker as we saw teams in need of a quarterback get their guy elsewhere in the first week of free agency. Some thoughts were the Bears were going to roll with Fields next year. What would they do with the number one pick if they went that route? Poles kept everyone including his own self guessing. The Pittsburgh Steelers were just waiting for their moment. Like a cat ready to pounce on a mouse. Nobody suspected the Steelers since they signed Russell Wilson. Then they traded Kenny Pickett to the Eagles. Mason Rudolf signed with the Titans. Poles’ bluff back fired as he had to fold and took the deal with the Steelers because the options pretty much dried up. The Steelers get Fields. The Bears net a 6th round draft pick. Which equals a dented can of beans for a former number 1 pick.

Justin Fields was drafted in 2021 in the first round 11th overall in the NFL draft. He has played 3 seasons with the Bears as he came out of Ohio State University where he did big things on the football field for the Buckeyes. Last year behind center, he went with a 5-8 record as the starter. He completed 61.4% of his passes for 2,562 passing yards with 16 touchdown passes and 9 interceptions. Fields was thrown to the wolves of the league coming in and has improved each year since he was drafted. The Bears were unprepared drafting a quarterback of any talent like Fields or anyone else. The offensive line was a turnstile at a whorehouse. Fields did not have the play makers like he had last season. Definitely not this up coming season with all the talent the team has put on the offensive side of the ball. In three seasons with the Bears, Fields is 10-28 as a starter. He has completed 60.3% of his passes in those 3 seasons for 6,674 passing yards with 40 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions. Fields is a duel threat quarterback who runs better than he passes. In 2022, he made ankles turn as he ran for over 1,000 yards on the ground with 8 rushing touchdowns. Some of the runs were Forest Gump-like going long distance with huge chunks of yardage. In 3 seasons he ran for 2,220 yards with 14 rushing touchdowns.

In Chicago, some fans think of Justin Fields as the best quarterback they have ever seen. Chicago is the same town that still has Bears fans admiring Jay Cutler, who has a cult following to this day. In retrospect, Fields may be one of the best quarterbacks depending on your age. Lots of bad quarterbacks have come in and out of the windy city. The league viewed Fields as a back up quarterback which is why it was slim pickings in the return for a guy picked in the first round. Fields throws a nice deep ball. Throwing over the middle of the field hitting guys in stride was a big weakness for Fields. Some short patterns and not having the right touch on the passes would grow frustrating. He held on to the ball way too long and took too many sacks. He was a turnover machine in the 4th quarter. If the game was close in the last two minutes in crunch time, to win the game or at least tie it to send it to over time. He would fold like a patio chair. I think he still has those problems even surrounded by the A team. I blame the Bears as usual. How many offensive coordinators did Fields have in three seasons? Being unprepared from day one. If you don’t have the cast to protect the rookie quarterback, let him sit and learn until you have the horses.

In the future, Ryan Poles should not deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Let’s start with bringing up the Chase Claypool trade between the Bears and Steelers. The Steelers land a nice future talented Joey Porter Jr. The Bears are stuck with a dog. A lazy dog where we did not get the return on what we gave up to get rid of that bum. The Steelers trade Kenny Pickett to the Eagles with a 2024 4th round pick and get back a 2024 3rd round pick with 2 2025 7th round picks. If Justin Fields plays 51% of the offensive snaps this season in Pittsburgh, that 6th rounder will turn into a 4th rounder in 2025. The Steelers signed Russell Wilson for the league minimum because they knew the Broncos were still on the hook this season paying his over 30 million. Fields will ride the bench this season while Wilson has been promised the starting gig. The Bears said they had another team offering more for Fields, but they thought Pittsburgh was better for Justin Fields to do right by him. I don’t think I’m buying what they are selling on that fable. I think timing is everything. Ryan Poles did not play his hand right. The Steelers potentially still can have control over Fields for the next 4 seasons which would include putting the franchise tag him on him twice. They could win with Wilson this season and use him as the bridge gap for Fields to take over in 2025. Wilson is signed for only one season. Poles did not draft Fields. Now his baby is coming as Chicago is preparing to welcome the USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Can the Bears say third time’s the charm bringing in Williams as we saw Mitch Trubisky in 2017 & then 2021 with Fields drafted in the first round? That is not true because the list of bad quarterbacks the Bears have had is never ending. The question that should be asked: Is Williams the next Bears quarterback to die? My gut feeling is one of the other guys in this draft will be the better option. It’s the Chicago way behind center since the 1940’s. Just hope Williams is above a can of dented beans.

Mason Rudolf’s tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers has come to an end. Many will remember his Steelers career from the one play when Rudolf was was hit with his own helmet by the Browns defensive end, Myles Garrett. Garrett ripped the helmet off the Steelers quarterback & then used it as a weapon. Rudolf did save the Steelers’ Christmas last season being called in to play the last 3 games of the season to steer the Steelers ship to the post-season. Now Rudolf is moving on from the team that drafted him and signing with the Titans on a 1 year deal worth 3.6 million of which 2.7 million is guaranteed. Rudolf will be the back up quarterback in Tennessee. If he somehow finds himself in the starting role, he could land some bonus money.

I’m not sure what the Steelers were thinking last season as Mason Rudolf was the third string quarterback. Rudolf is better than most back ups in the NFL. The Steelers starting quarterback was Kenny Pickett who was drafted in the first round 20th overall in the NFL 2022 draft. The Steelers went out and signed Mitch Trubisky, originally thinking he would be the starter for the team. Trubisky served as a bridge gap quarterback but did not play very well and Pickett was sent into action his rookie season. Rudolf would not get one snap in 2022 as he was lost in the shuffle because Pickett played pretty well his rookie season. Last year, Pickett did okay. The Steelers offense was not scoring enough points, but they were winning close games. Pickett would get hurt. Trubisky came in as the second option and he did not do well. Pickett would come back from injury and the offense was still dormant. The only time the Steelers offense came alive and scored points was when Rudolf started. He started three games and won them all. During those 3 games, he threw for 719 passing yards with 3 touchdown passes and no interceptions. The Steelers made the playoffs, went to Buffalo, and lost in the very first round.

Mason Rudolf was drafted in 2018 in the 3rd round out of Oklahoma State University. In 2019, Mason started 8 games and the Steelers were 5-3 in those starts. Rudolf would not get more than one start until last season. Rudolf has played in 21 games in his career of which 13 of them have been starts. His record as a starter is 8-4-1. His career stats he has completed 63.5% of his passes and has tallied up 3,085 yards with 19 touchdown passes with 11 interceptions. Not sure Rudolf picked a good time to leave Pittsburgh as the Steelers signed Russell Wilson who has not played very well the last few seasons. They traded Kenny Pickett to the Eagles. They released Mitch Trubisky as he landed back in Buffalo. He goes to the Titans as Will Levis will be going into his second season. The Titans still have Malik Willis, a 3rd round pick by Tennessee in 2022. Willis is not very good which is the biggest reason why they drafted Levis. So you would have to think and I’m sure Rudolf has been promised the back up job with maybe a slight chance of earning the starting nod. I would think he has a bad taste in his mouth being buried at the QB 3 on the roster for the last few seasons in Pittsburgh. Playing in those last 3 games in Pittsburgh justifies him as a back up, and a guy that can win some games if your starter goes down. You have to think Rudolf is licking his chops right now. Like a hunter being patient and waiting for his chance. We know he is better than Willis. If Levis has the typical sophomore jinx or gets hurt, Rudolf could be the song of Music City. Then for the receivers, he would have to throw in DeAndre Hopkins. The Titans just signed Calvin Ridley to a monster deal. Two big time play makers. Which would make any quarterback smile like the Joker. Rudolf once again may go down in history.

The Chicago Bears General manager Ryan Poles, this off-season, has been in the laboratory creating the ultimate offense. It takes you back to when George W Bush was President of the United States accusing Iraq of having weapons of mass destruction. Poles and the Bears front office have been building a thing, a hybrid something no one has ever seen in the Windy City. It’s like the Axis of Evil countries building their new weapons and putting them on display. The Bears have done that with all sorts of free agent moves this off-season. Parading them in Halas Hall with contracts and a new uniform. The Bears have reinforced the walls of the offensive line. They have a new ground assault. They even have added to their aerial fleet. When the season opens up, who will be the general on the field of the operations this up coming season? We have not even made it to the draft as the Bears own the number 1 pick and two selections in the top ten.

Last season at this time, the Bears remade their entire defense through free agency and the draft. This year the team has still made some nice savvy moves on the defensive side but have concentrated on the offense. It started with the firing of offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, the former Packers coach. The experts, fans, and I believe Ryan Poles are still trying to figure out if Justin Fields will be the general of this operation going forward. Poles hired Seattle’s former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and you have to believe he knows the plan. I also have to believe he has a say. Some of the free agents he has picked up have ties to him in other organizations he has coached. Finally someone at Halas Hall believes in reinforcing the offensive line. The Bears for decades addressed the O-Line with late round draft picks. Picked up some castaways.The Bears made a deal with the Bills and landed Ryan Bates who has 5 seasons in the NFL, all with Buffalo. Bates is 27 years old & out of Penn State. Here are some of Waldron’s guys. The Bears signed Coleman Shelton, a center for the Rams, who is 28 years old out of Washington University. Jake Curhan followed Waldron to Chicago, a former Seahawk who has 3 seasons under his belt. Curhan is a tackle who is out of the University of California. The Bears also signed a tackle from the 49ers where he played last year. Matt Pryor was drafted by the Eagles and has been in the NFL 5 seasons out of TCU. Poles is building the next Berlin wall.

Ryan Poles last year at this time fleeced the Carolina Panthers as they traded the Bears for the number one pick. Panthers selected Bryce Young out of University of Alabama. The Bears ended up getting the Panthers number one pick this season which is first overall. Plus they landed a big time wide receiver DJ Moore. The Bears lost one of their own to free agency. Wide Receiver Darnell Mooney signed with Atlanta. The Bears could draft Marvin Harrison Jr. out of the Ohio State University. They could still draft him even though they traded a 4th round draft pick to the Chargers for Keenan Allen, AKA Mr. I Catch Everything Thrown to Me. Moore had 96 catches, 1,364 yards, and 8 touchdowns. That was with Fields & mostly thrown to Moore. Allen last year had 108 catches for 1,243 yards with 7 touchdowns. INSANE. Then if you draft Harrison Jr. the Bears would have a trio of elite play makers running routes. The Bears added D’Andre Swift who will be the team’s featured back. Swift had a career year in Philadelphia last year over 1,000 yards. Swift is a bruising back. Then the Bears signed another tight end in another one of Waldron’s old guys from the LA Rams, Gerald Everett. Everett last season played for the Chargers & had 51 catches for 411 yards with 3 touchdowns. He has 284 all-time catches for 2,833 yards with 19 touchdowns. I forgot to mention the Bears’ other tight end, Cole Kmet. Kmet is coming off a monster year. Last year he had 73 catches for 719 yards with six touchdown catches. This is looking like the best offense the Bears have ever assembled in the history of the Midway Monsters. Who’s driving the car?

If Justin Fields was supposed to have been traded, he is running out of places to go. The Falcons would have been a homecoming for Fields as he’s a native out of Georgia. The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins. The Steelers signed Russell Wilson. The Raiders signed Gardner Minshew. The Seahawks still have Geno Smith but acquired Sam Howell from the Commanders in a trade. The Vikings are going with, for the time being, Sam Darnold. Who knows what Denver is doing with all the Wilson money still on their payroll? The Steelers are only paying Wilson the league minimum so the Broncos still have to pony up most of what is owed in that great flop of a trade a few years back. The Bears biggest problem since Sid Luckman last played for the team in the 1940’s is Chicago has not filled his shoes at the quarterback position.

The Bears have signed a quarterback in free agency this season. Brett Rypien is not the quarterback savior for this franchise. Rypien has 4 seasons as he was drafted by the Denver Broncos where he played 3 years. Last year he played for the LA Rams. He has played in 10 NFL games as a 2-2 record as a starter. Brett’s uncle was Mark Rypien who won a Superbowl behind center for the Washington Redskins during the 1990’s. Brett has only thrown for 950 yards and has 4 touchdown passes and ten interceptions, so this guy sounds like a Bears guy. The Bears still have Tyson Bagent, a division II quarterback who was not drafted. Bagent played in 5 games for the Bears last season filling in for the injured Justin Fields. He started 4 games in which he went 2-2 with 3 touchdowns and six interceptions. These guys are not the answer, but maybe one of them would be nice 3rd string option.

Do you give the keys to this offensive juggernaut to Justin Fields where the jury is hung with a noose around their necks as everyone is split on the Bears present day starter behind center? With the number one pick, do you pick the one quarterback that many think is the best and the next Patrick Mahomes in Caleb Williams out of USC? Williams cancelled a meeting with the Bears at a combine in Indianapolis. Williams is from the DC area and has said he would love to be the Commanders starting QB. Washington is selecting at number two in the draft and just traded away their starter last year, Sam Howell, to Seattle. Should the Bears select Williams anyways? They could draft another one of those options at the quarterback position or they may be destined for the booby prize like in 2017 picking Mitch Trubisky instead of Mahomes or the rapist Deshaun Watson. You know one of these guys may be the gem of the NFL draft starting with Drake Maye out of North Carolina, Jayden Daniels from LSU and Bo Nix from University of Oregon. Not in any order but with the Bears’ luck they will pick the lemon. The Bears could give Fields the keys and let him rip. No excuses now as this offense is ready to hum and has everything. The Bears could draft a quarterback and let him sit and watch for a season. Never a bad thing for example A Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers who I absolutely am disgusted by. It’s too bad Ryan Poles and the front office can’t create their own Hybrid Frankenstein quarterback programmed to win multiple Superbowls with this offensive power house they put together. Chicago is where quarterbacks come to die. We are all about the defense of which we got one of those too. Just can’t solve that question: Who’s driving the car?

In the NFL, running backs are a dime a dozen. The running back position has the shortest life span in the game of football at the professional level. Most running backs have no loyalty as teams have no loyalty for the guys that risk it all running in between the tackles. Most teams these days have multiple guys carrying the football for them, not the one featured back like in the past. In the draft, you can select a running back & insert the rookie into the starting line up like changing a light bulb – in with the new & out with the old. Running backs are expendable just like this off-season saw the changing of the guard. Teams lost their guy to arch rivals. The replacement was always around the corner like waiting for the next bus to pull up at your team’s headquarters. The free agency market for the running back has been all about musical chairs. Like in your fantasy football league teams, just gobbled up on these available backs in the first round. Here’s my list of the changing of the guard in the first week of the NFL free agency for the 2024 season.

Josh Jacobs signs with the Green Bay Packers (4 years 48 million.)

First question: Why is Green Bay signing a running back when they already have Aaron Jones? Jones would not take a pay cut so he became collateral damage for ownership. EXPENDABLE. Jacobs averaged 3.6 yards per carry last season. Jones averaged 4.6 yards per carry. Jacobs has the better price tag for this upcoming season as Jones moves on.

Aaron Jones signs with Minnesota Vikings (1 year 7 million.)

Aaron Jones quickly finds a job with the archrival of the Packers. The Vikings!! Jones is thinking he will get back at the Packers organization for not taking the pay cut & then cutting him. Jones will play his former team twice next year to hopefully rub salt in his X-team’s wounds.

Zack Moss signs with the Cincinnati Bengals (2 years 8 million.)

Zack Moss had his break out year with the Colts filling in for Jonathan Taylor. Taylor started the year missing weeks due to a contract hold out. Taylor would end up missing a few games due to injury as well. Moss played 14 games & tallied up 794 yards on the ground with 5 touch downs. Moss is 26 years old and cheaper then Joe Mixon, so he became EXPENDABLE!! Mixon is a loose cannon. He was news for pointing a gun at someone at the airport. Mixon’s sister was involved in some kind of shooting incident with her boyfriend at Joe’s house. This is the same guy who clocked a girl in college before being drafted by the Bengals. The Bengals got a replacement and traded Mixon to Houston. Before Moss signed, the Bengals were going to release Mixon, but they found somebody to take him.

Joe Mixon’s new home is with the Houston Texans which is not a bad place to be with a team on the rise in the AFC. Mixon rushed for over 1,000 yards last season scoring 9 rushing touchdowns. Mixon is one of the big trash talkers in the league if only someone can get him a muzzle. Mixon will wear out his new home in Houston and become EXPENDABLE!!!

Devin Singletary signs with the New York Giants (3 years 16.5 million.)

The Texans don’t need Devin Singletary after they acquired Joe Mixon. Singletary, an X-Bills cast off, goes to New York and will suit up for the Giants where a former Bills offensive coordinator who’s head coach of the G-Men collects castoff players from Buffalo. Singletary is a Giant because Barkley could not collect the bigger contract making him EXPENDABLE. Singletary has not found a home yet since being on the EXPENDABLE list for the Bills last off-season.

Gus Edwards signs with the LA Chargers (2 years 6.5 million.)

Edwards had 13 rushing touchdowns last season for the Ravens. Now he leaves John Harbaugh for his brother Jim’s team, the Chargers. Edwards became EXPENDABLE when Ravens signed King Henry.

Derrick Henry signs with Baltimore Ravens (2 years 16 million.)

Many thought the King was dead. That the tank lost his threads. Last year Henry had 12 rushing touchdowns. He went over 1,000 yards as he tallied 1,167 of them. The Titans did not want to pay King Henry a ransom so he became EXPENDABLE in Nashville.

Tony Pollard signs with the Tennessee Titans (3 years 24 million.)

With the King leaving Honky Tonk Town, an opportunity came up for Tony Pollard as he gets a nice pay day. Pollard also leaves the side show they call America’s Team, the Cowboys, which is always a good thing. Pollard went over 1,000 yards and found the end zone 6 times last season in Dallas. The Cowboys wanted something better than Pollard so he became an EXPENDABLE for them.

Austin Ekeler signs with the Washington Commanders (2 years 11.43 million.)

Ekeler had a down year last year in his final season wearing the Chargers uniform. The Chargers are in salary cap hell and can only afford the talent of Gus Edwards, the former Raven. This is how Austin became EXPENDABLE. Ekeler has been a touchdown factory over his career. He has 39 career rushing touchdowns and 30 receiving touchdowns. The Commanders at least have a bigger following than Charger fans.

Antonio Gibson signs with the New England Patriots (3 years 11.25 million.)

Gibson had a down year only tallying up 265 yards total on the ground. Waiting grew impatient for Washington’s front office for Gibson to be that elite back he once was in 2021. With the Austin Ekelor signing the Commanders were not going to wait for Gibson to find his 2021 form when he had over 1,000 rushing yards. He became EXPENDABLE. Gibson is a talented back that has shown some flashes of being a great back as he had 7 rushing touchdowns in 2021. The Patriots probably gives him a better chance to play more than he had on the Commanders.

D’Andre Swift signs with the Chicago Bears ( 3 years 24 million.)

D’Andre Swift had his best season of his entire football career with the Eagles last year. Swift ran for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. Now he can play the team that drafted him, the Lions, twice a year as he suits up for the Bears next season. The Eagles didn’t offer Swift a contract so he became EXPENDABLE in Philly.

Saquon Barkley signs with the Philadelphia Eagles (3 years 37.37 million.)

Saquon Barkley pissed off Giants fans signing with the enemy Eagles. Barkley is a guy that can run the ball between the tackles and help your team’s passing game out of the back field. He racked up 962 yards on the ground with six rushing touchdowns. He added 41 catches and 4 touchdown receptions. Swift went to the Bears. Barkley was not going to get the money staying in New York as he was franchise tagged last season. New York fans became EXPENDABLE here.

As you can tell, it did not take long for the General Manger vultures of these teams to swoop up these free agent running backs. Like the guy in fantasy in the snake draft taking two stud backs in back to back picks. Can you blame a team for letting these guys go free knowing you have cheaper & maybe even more talented options. They cost a lot of money. How many of these guys will be the reason they get their team in the Superbowl or deep into the post-season? The 49ers lost the Superbowl and have the best running back in the league with Christian McCaffrey. The Chiefs won the Superbowl and their starting running back, Isiah Pacheco, was drafted in the 7th round. One of these guys could be the difference. Most of them could fail with their new teams. Different systems. Different coaches. They have wear and tear on them. I’m guessing we will see a few rookies emerge as better options than these veterans next season. They don’t make them like they used too. Next season we will see at this time a pile of new name running backs in the free agent waters along with some of these guys that may find themselves washed up and dumped back into the pond. The EXPENDABLES will be looking for any vulture to hopefully pay them something just to keep playing by then.