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2026 UFL, UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS WEEK 2

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After one week of the UFL, it looks like the name change has helped the Renegades as they look like the top team in the league. The Defenders lay a clunker in week one defending their title from last year. Relocation, relocation, and relocation… only one team prevails from the off-season move. The BattleHawks defense looks legit. The Stallions are still riding in the top of the league. We have contenders & we have pretenders. We will sort it all out with the week two UFL power rankings. We start with the best and work our way down to the mess of the league. Hope you enjoy!!!

#1. DALLAS RENEGADES (1-0) Moved up 4 spots from last week

The Renegades coming into this season on paper have one of the best quarterbacks in the UFL in veteran Luis Perez. Now this franchise may have two of the top 5 quarterbacks in the UFL with Austin Powers, who got the start over the King of the Spring Fling which was Perez.

Austin Reed was SHAGADELIC in his first ever start in the UFL. Reed lit up the Houston Gamblers setting a new single regular season record in the UFL with 376 passing yards while throwing three touchdown passes. The former USFL QB Rick Neuheisel, now the head coach of the Renegades, looks like a quarterback whisperer going with Reed over Perez. The Renegades scored the most points in week 1 with 36. They played well in all 3 phases of the game. The Renegades the last few years always had a defense that can contribute to the score board. As they had a pick six early in the game that set the tempo. They may be the team to beat with solid defense and a well-balanced offense that can do damage with the running game and aerial attack.

#2. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (1-0) Same spot from last week

Do you remember Snoop Dogg was in the ESPN series called the Playmakers which was about a professional football team? The Stallions unveiled their new running back Snoop Connor who racked up 56 yards on the ground for Birmingham in week 1 with a touchdown.

Wide receiver Jaydon Mickens stole the show in his Stallions debut. The former Defender caught 9 balls for 102 yards as he kept the chains moving as Birmingham just got by the Louisville Kings in low scoring game. It was not pretty. Some of the Stallions wins when Skip Holtz was the head coach were not pretty wins. He just racked up a lot of W’s in his time. His teams got better as the season went on. You could see things with the Stallions that have not changed. That bend don’t break defense that thrives on turnovers got two interceptions. Matt Corral was decent behind center. He did not turn over the ball and guided his team to another W on the back of his football card. In sports it is tough to win games on the road. The Stallions can do that in front of sold out crowds in Louisville.

#3. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (1-0) Moved up 1 spot from last week.

The BattleHawks defend their Thunderdome home Mad Max style. St.Louis is now 10-1 in home games going on their 3rd season in the UFL. They were dominated at home when they played in the XFL as well. The BattleHawks certainly got the crowds they normally get as their home opener had plenty of supporters as they knocked off the defending champions, the DC Defenders. The BattleHawks and Defenders is probably the best rivalry in the UFL. In a rivalry that started back in the XFL and certainly carried over to the UFL.

The BattleHawks would have their work cut out for them as they lost their long time head coach Anthony Becht to the sunshine in Orlando. The BattleHawks lost a few defenders from last season. However you would not notice because they looked like the best defense in the league in week 1. It all starts with defensive player of the year from last year in Pita Taumoepenu, who recorded 2.5 sacks in week 1. He led the UFL last season in sacks and is looking for the repeat of that title this season. They held the Defenders to 10 points. They only scored 16 points which was enough to get the first win of the season and knock off your hatred rival at the same time. I think their offense will eventually catch up to their defense. They have a veteran spring QB in Brandon Silvers, who did throw a touchdown pass and made no mistakes. He was okay. Nothing to write home to mom about. St.Louis has some nice weapons for Silvers to put up bigger numbers.

#4. ORLANDO STORM (1-0) Moved up 3 spots from last week

The Storm were the first among the three teams that relocated to a different city to win their first game of the year. Former BattleHawks head coach Anthony Becht keeps his winning ways with his new team, the Storm. The Storm showdown with the Aviators from Columbus was the first battle between teams that relocated from last year. The Storm looks like they found themselves a solid QB who did well in his spring debut.

Jack Plummer had a mutt of a college career suiting up for Louisville, Purdue, and California. He had a cup of coffee with the Carolina Panthers camp in the NFL. He may have found a nice home with the Storm to showcase his talents. Plummer completed 77% of his passes in week 1 win over the Aviators. Plummer went 17-22 for 240 passing yards and a touchdown pass. A solid debut indeed. You know Becht likes to run the ball. His star running back Jashaun Corbin had two rushing touchdowns for 66 yards on the ground. The Storm also have a spring veteran return man and wide Receiver Chris Rowland, who caught Plummer’s only touchdown pass. The Storm is brewing after week 1.

#5. DC DEFENDERS (0-1) Dropped 4 spots from last week

The Defending champs could be experiencing a little hang over from winning it all last week. The Defenders offensively put up a clunker versus their arch rival the BattleHawks on the road, only scoring 10 points. The Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu was horrible with two interceptions. Ta’amu, one of the better QB’s in the UFL for years, was out of sync in his first start of the year. You could blame the Defenders O-line as Ta’amu was sacked 7 times in the game. It is hard winning in Arch Town. The Defenders defense only gave up 16 points so overall this could be just a hiccup for DC getting off to a slow start.

One of the UFL’s rule changes this season is if a kicker hits on a 60 yard or more field goal, the team is awarded 4 points instead of the normal 3 point play. The Defenders kicker Matt McCrane becomes the first kicker to get the 4 point play in the UFL. McCrane nailed a 60 yard field goal in the dome of St.Louis. The UFL kickers have been scooped up by the NFL like Jake Bates when he was playing for the Michigan Panthers a few seasons ago. He was hitting 60 yard field goals for the Panther and the Detroit Lions signed him, as he’s still kicking in motor city today. McCrane could be next.

#6.LOUISVILLE KINGS (0-1) Moved up 2 spots from last week

We know most of America do not like Kings running the country. We have to think the Stallions don’t like kings either as Birmingham has been the King of spring football for years.

Louisville looks like a keeper for the UFL as fans packed their stadium in the season opener under Friday Night Lights. The Kings played well versus the Stallions. Birmingham won the game in the last minutes of regulation. The Kings quarterback Jason Bean looked pretty good despite throwing two interceptions. One was not his fault bouncing off his receiver’s hands. He threw for over 200 yards. He had one touchdown pass. The Kings defense only gave up 15 points. I think Kings head coach Chris Redman will have a solid squad as the season moves on after they get over their growing pains.

#7.COLUMBUS AVIATORS (0-1) Dropped 4 spots from last week.

The Aviators I thought would be better than they were in their first game. The Aviators settled for field goals in the first quarter. They stayed in the game with the Storm the entire way. The Aviators did not score in the second or third quarter. They made things interesting when they scored their first touchdown of the season in the 4th quarter. It was running back Zaquandre White who found the end zone for the Aviators with his first rushing touchdown of the season.

I think the Aviators running game was not very good in week 1. When veteran quarterback Jalen McClendon has to throw the ball 32 times, it’s not a good recipe to win many games in spring. McClendon tallied up over 200 yards in passing. He had no touchdown passes. He did not throw any interceptions. If you give McClendon a well balanced offense, I think the Aviators would convert more touchdowns rather than relying on field goals.

#8.HOUSTON GAMBLERS (0-1) Dropped two spots from week 1

The Gamblers or last years Roughnecks are teams that do not start well in this league. The Gamblers were blown out by the Renegades in the battle of Texas. They gave up not the most points with 36 points. The Gamblers did out score a few teams with 17 points.

One of the Gamblers’ touchdowns was an impressive kickoff return by Jalen Moreno Cooper which is only the 2nd one in league history. You take that away & the Gamblers offense only racked up 10 points. The Gamblers starting quarterback Nolan Henderson had two interceptions which one was a pick six that got the Renegades off to a fast start. The Gamblers may have hope as Hunter Dekkers came in and completed 19-29 passes for 227 passing yards. He had no interceptions and no touchdown passes. He did way better than Henderson. Which is a positive. The Gamblers defense was dissected like a frog in an 8th grade science class which could be a big concern for the entire season that is left on the schedule.

THE CHICAGO BEARS SUDDENLY HAVE THE KNACK FOR FINDING THAT GEM BEHIND CENTER

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The Chicago Bears have not had a franchise quarterback since the 1940’s when Sid Luckman was the general behind center. The Bears for decades were like the present day Cleveland Browns, with a never-ending list of dead beats behind center. It was like every Christmas delivered a lump of coal in the Bears fans’ stockings as every season you would witness them marching out the next bum to turn into a bust. Everybody thought the Bears’ number 1 selection in the 2024 NFL draft would turn to stone when they drafted Caleb Williams from USC. Most experts thought Williams would be the best choice and the Bears could not do what they did in the 2017 NFL draft & gamble on the likes of another Mitch Trubisky. The guarantee that year by the experts was Deshaun Watson. In Chicago all massage therapists dodge a bullet that the Bears selected Mitch over the sexual predator. In 2017 Patrick Mahomes turned out to be golden for the Chiefs. Williams this season in his second year has shown he can be the face of this Bears franchise for the next decade and beyond. In 2023, the Bears signed Tyson Bagent as he was an undrafted free agent. In three seasons he has a 2-2 record as a starter. The Bears front office has been fielding calls about acquiring Bagent, who is the number two guy on the Chicago totem pole. Suddenly anything the Bears touch at quarterback is starting to turn into gold. Last weekend more evidence became available about the Bears being the QB whisperer. It was another quarterback the Bears had at their camp the last two seasons who lit up the UFL (United Football League) in his first start the opening weekend of the spring gridiron. Some people may remember Austin Reed who played a part in HBO’s Hard Knocks when they did the Bears series. It was Reed who signed with the Dallas Renegades after the Bears let him go. On Saturday he sliced and diced the Houston Gamblers defense while setting new records in the UFL as a quarterback.

Austin Reed is 26 years of age. In college he was part of three football programs: SIU, West Florida, and Western Kentucky. It was Western Kentucky where Reed thrived as he had 40 touchdown passes in 2022. In 2023 he threw 31 touchdown passes. In both seasons he had the same amount of interceptions thrown, with 11 each season. In 2024 Reed signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent. He had his 15 minutes on Hard Knocks. He made the Bears practice squad in ’24. In 2025 he played in some preseason games & then landed his walking papers. The Bears wanted veteran quarterback Case Keenum on their roster to help mentor Caleb Williams. Then Tyson Bagent was the number two QB. The Bears decided they did not need Reed on their practice squad either. As an athlete you can practice until the cows come home every day. Every athlete needs a game to improve their craft. In those NFL preseason games, Reed played very well for the Bears. He tallied up 230 passing yards with a touchdown pass and came away with a 99.3 passing rating. Reed decided to take his talents to the UFL. The Dallas Renegades have one of the better spring veteran quarterbacks in the league. His name is Luis Perez and he is the king of the spring fling. He even has written a book about it. Perez has also guided these Renegades to championship before the merger when this franchise was back in the XFL. Reed beat out Perez for the starting job this spring for Dallas. In his first UFL game, the Renegades blew up the Houston Gamblers with a score of 36-17. Reed threw three touchdown passes in his debut along with 370 passing yards.

These spring football leagues like the UFL really don’t generate talented quarterbacks that take over the starting job in the NFL. The UFL has done well with kickers and special team players. The 49ers had former Birmingham Stallion Adrian Martinez as a 3rd string quarterback for them last season. The Arena League produced a Hall of Famer in Kurt Warner. It can happen. I always believe when a athlete leaves the city of Chicago, their career suddenly takes off. It is only one game for Austin Reed in the UFL. He played with two different coaching staffs with the Bears. He did get a sniff of the Ben Johnson offense in preseason in 2025. You have to like his football IQ to handle some different offenses at the professional level and thrive. He looks like he has the stuff to be a solid QB in the UFL as we will see how it all unfolds for him. If I were him, I would not re-sign with the Bears if his season does end up going well like his first game did. Who wants to be the 4th quarterback? He may have a better chance with another team to actually make a NFL roster rather than just settle for a practice squad position. Maybe the football gods are starting to help a team like the Bears which has been deprived so long at the quarterback position. All the bums this franchise has had. Yes, we had a few seasons of some solid QB play. Like Jim McMahon helping the Bears win their only Superbowl. He may have been a great QB if not for those bad injuries he suffered, which I believe set him back. I loved guys like Jim Miller and Erik Kramer. Those guys sparked this team for a few seasons. Then smoking Jay Cutler who somehow still has a cult following in the Windy City. Cutler broke many Bears records behind center which is easy to do because of the QB play this town has had. He was a selfish SOB only in for himself. Then the failed number 1 picks before Caleb. Like Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields. Both are back ups presently. I remember sports radio talking about how the Bears should draft a QB every year to finally get it right. Now they have the ICE-MAN in Williams, a guy that paints his finger nails in a blue collar town. Most of these bar flies would express absolute hatred for a guy like that. He’s playing well at a position that was so weak for this franchise for decades. They don’t care. Most people have never seen solid QB play in Chicago during their entire lifetime. Now the Bears have done well getting something out of undrafted QB’s like Tyson Bagent and Reed. Some team may give the Bears a 4th round pick for Bagent. I would like to keep Bagent but adding a pick to this April’s draft could help the team out in other positions. Because obviously the Bears know how to find quarterbacks. They could sign Reed or sign another undrafted free agent if Austin does not want to come back. You feel the world is coming to an end when a team like the Bears know something about selecting a solid QB.

JACK, CHOOSING BASEBALL OVER FOOTBALL IN THE MANGUM HOUSEHOLD

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I wonder if the Mangum household is similar to the show Blue Bloods. In Blue Bloods, Tom Selleck plays character Frank Reagan who sits at the head of dinner table as the Police Commissioner with a family that has law enforcement as the family business. It seems like the Mangum family business is football. John Mangum Jr. played for the Chicago Bears during the 1990’s. His father, the original John, played defensive tackle for the Boston Patriots, who at the time resided in the AFL before the merger with the NFL. Then John Mangum’s brother Kris played tight end for the Carolina Panthers for 10 seasons in the NFL. Along came John Mangum Jr.’s son Jake who elected to play baseball over football. He followed his own path in life and has made it to the MLB. I’m sure Jake is not sentenced to the kids table at Sunday family dinners.

At the age of 30, Jake Mangum has had a very interesting path to the MLB after spurning football his freshman year of high school to concentrate on baseball. In 2025, Jake made his MLB debut with the Tampa Bay Rays. This season he is on the Pirates in year two of his career as he has already been traded three times in his career. Mangum was drafted three times by both New York teams. He avoided the Yankee Death Star by playing college ball instead of wearing storm trooper pinstripes. The Mets drafted him two years in a row in 2018 & ’19. He played his college ball at Mississippi State University where he earned a degree in business administration. In 4 seasons at Mississippi State, he helped the Bulldogs get to the College World Series in back-to-back years in 2018 & ’19. In 4 seasons he racked up 383 hits which ranks him number 1 all-time in the Southeastern conference. Those 383 hits rank him number 4 all-time in NCAA Division 1 history. He would finally sign with the Mets to begin his journey to the MLB. In 2020 due to the pandemic, he did not play as all minor league seasons were cancelled completely that year. The Mets traded him to the Marlins for that famous player to be named later deal. Then about a year later the Marlins flipped him to get that famous player to be named later. Finally Mangum had a break out camp with the Rays while being protected from any other team poaching him in the rule 5 draft. Mangum is switch hitting outfielder with remarkable defensive skills. With the lumber last year he racked up 120 hits in 118 games. His batting average was a impressive .296. Not much power with the bat only 3 long balls but he drove in 40 runs. The Rays had a fire sale during the off-season as they work on another quick rebuild on the fly, they threw in Mangum in the deal with second baseman Brandon Lowe who was headliner of the deal.

John Mangum Jr. presently 59 years of age. He was born and raised in the state of Mississippi. John was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 6th round of the 1990 NFL draft from Alabama University. John was defensive back and played 9 seasons in the NFL all with Da Bears. In 105 NFL games he tallied up 5 interceptions. He recorded 4.5 sacks and racked up 272 solo tackles. When John played for the Bears this was after those great 1980’s teams they had when they won the Superbowl in 85. The Bears still had some Hall of Fame players that played with John in the 1990’s.

Steve “Mongo” McMichael and Richard Dent were on their last legs when Mangum Jr. was patrolling the Bears secondary. The Bears did make it to the post-season three times with John Mangum Jr. In 5 post-season games, Mangum did record an interception and fumble recovery on his playoff resume.

John Mangum Jr.’s younger brother Kris is 52 years of age presently. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the 7th round of the 1997 NFL draft from Alabama University. He helped the Crimson Tide win a National title in 1992. Before transferring to Alabama he played for Ole Miss. Kris did not play defense like his brother and father. He was an offensive player whose position on the gridiron was tight end. He played 10 seasons in the NFL all with the Panthers. He played in 126 NFL games and racked up 151 catches for 1,424 receiving yards. He also hauled in 9 touchdown passes. He played from 1997 until 2006.

Jack Mangum was way too young to see his father play professional football. In 2025 for a Monday football game between the Bears and the Vikings, Jack was in town with the Rays. It was an alumni game for his father John, at Soldier field. Jack had the day off as the Rays were going to be playing both Chicago baseball teams during the week starting on Tuesday. Jack got some perspective about his father and all his Bear chums that night. The stories that were told. Along with watching the game together, it had to have been special for the Mangum football family.

When John Mangum Jr. was playing for the Bears, I always liked how he played the game. He was not your All-Pro defensive back out on the field. He played hard every down and had a high football IQ which you have to respect. In sports, guys like John Jr. are some of the unsung heroes of these teams you watch every Sunday. You need these guys on the roster to win games. You can tell that about his son Jack, who carved his own path in life. He may have been good playing football until he gave it up. He was committed to Alabama but backed out in the last minute to go to Mississippi State which was close to home. It was a school he visited multiple times before going there because he knew people there. By the time he went to school there, he knew many people and everyone knew his name earning himself the “Mayor” nickname. I was watching the Pirates game yesterday, his new team, as they were in New York playing the Mets, the team that drafted him and traded him away. He was playing center field and on one play he tracked down a ball that was destined to be off the wall for extra bases. He got on his horse and tracked it down for one hell of a catch. He looked like a defensive back like a safety ball hawking a ball thrown deep by a quarterback. His father would be proud that Jack has taken some football into his sport of baseball. The Mangum family toughness with the game high IQ is what this family is all about. Jack was late getting to the big leagues, but he certainly looks like he should be an everyday player as I hope the Pirates give him plenty of playing time. You hope he can get 8-10 good years in the MLB like his father and uncle got playing on the gridiron.

2026 OPENING WEEK OF THE UFL: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS

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The UFL is back for its third season of spring football. You have to go back to the 1980’s when the original USFL lasted three seasons. We have had multiple spring leagues open up shop and then close the doors immediately since the original USFL folded because of Donal Trump. The USFL reboot lasted two seasons and could have gone further. The merger of the USFL and the XFL had to happen to keep spring football alive. The UFL added a new business investor in Mike Repole, who has taken over the business side of things in the league. His first goal was he wanted to have all his teams playing in smaller venues so the game looks better on television. In the bigger venues like huge college fields, for years the spring games looked like they had 5 people in attendance. Only St. Louis will play in a mammoth stadium because they know fans will fill up the former professional football stadium that was used by the Rams for years. Repole opens up three new markets: Louisville, Orlando, and Columbus. The league is not expanding yet so they will still feature 8 teams. Opening up three new markets means three old markets have to relocate. On the chopping block of relocation were Memphis, Michigan, and San Antonio. The Michigan move is a head-scratcher. The Panthers were in the top of the league in attendance and sold more tickets than the year prior. With Michigan out, I have to find another team to show my allegiance to. The league will have 6 new faces as the head coach positions. It will also bring Friday Night Lights games every week. We definitely had some roster roulette play out in the off-season. Every team does have familiar players on every roster. How the QB will play out in year 3 is always one of the biggest questions in these spring football leagues. We will roll out the first set of power rankings as we make an educated guess where each team will be before even playing a snap on the field. We may look like geniuses after week 1 plays out or idiots. Either way we will still throw our two cents into the fountain.

#1. DC DEFENDERS (Last season went 6-3 and defending champions)

The Defenders are the only team in the UFL that are coming back with the same head coach. Shannon Harris was thrown into the fire when the former Defender head coach Reggie Barlow took another job right before week 1 last season. Harris got the Defenders to post-season and they thrived. The Defenders roster is still pretty much intact from last year.

You know the beer snake will be slithering well at home games for the Defenders. The Defenders have one of the better quarterbacks in the UFL in Jordan Ta’amu, who has a ton of spring football experience and a championship to back it up.

#2. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (Last season went 7-3 and made the playoffs but lost in the first round.)

How will the Stallions play without their legendary head coach Skip Holtz? Holtz’s replacement is a solid hire by the Stallions in former NFL and XFL Quarterback AJ McCarron. He played two seasons with the St. Louis BattleHawks as their starting quarterback. He has ties to Birmingham playing his college ball at Alabama University. Skip walking away from spring football leaves McCarron with a very good roster starting with a defense that has been very good at forcing turnovers. They have a veteran spring quarterback in Matt Corral who has played with the Stallions the last few seasons and has the tools to thrive in this league.

The Stallions added a huge play-making running back in Anthony McFarland who is a former Brahma and Steeler from his NFL days. His ability to make catches out of the backfield will help Corral and that entire Stallions offense to take the next step into one of the best scoring units in the UFL.

#3. COLUMBUS AVIATORS (Last season as the Michigan Panthers they went 6-4 and went to the post-season, but lost to the Defenders in the UFL Championship)

The Columbus Aviators are one of three new cities in the UFL. The Aviators inherited the best team out of the three cities from last year that relocated. The Aviators went with a new head coach instead of retaining the Panthers old head coach in Mike Nolan, which is a mistake. Nolan was a solid leader for the Panthers. The Panthers new head coach is Ted Guinn, a former NFL wide receiver. Guinn has never been a head coach. This former Panthers team’s biggest loss is their starting QB Bryce Perkins who was MVP last year. He took his talents across the border to play in the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The Aviators will have a seasoned veteran spring QB in Jalen McClendon, who started a few games last year for the Houston Roughnecks and did well. Houston in the second half of last season made a push for the post-season and came up short. The Aviators will have a solid defense and have a talented back field with multiple solid running backs. This team should be in the mix all season long.

#4. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (8-2 last season while making the playoffs to be eliminated in the first round.)

You know the BattleHawks will be one of the top teams this season. They have a new head coach as their old leader Anthony Becht is now coaching the Orlando Storm. His replacement was in-house as St.Louis is going with former NFL wide receiver Ricky Proehl as the new face of the franchise. The BattleHawks roster have lost some big names like running back Jacob Saylors who is living his best life in the NFL with the Lions. The BattleHawks at the QB position are going with a spring veteran in Brandon Silvers, who was a back up last year for St.Louis. Look for the offense to be designed as pass heavy rather than getting off the bus and running like last season was for the BattleHawks.

The BattleHawks have lost some pieces on the defensive side of the ball. However they still have those edge rushers that can cause plenty of havoc to the opponent’s offensive schemes. Travis Feeney and the defensive player of the year, Pita Taumoepenu, will be looking to be once again the leading sack artist in the UFL.

#5. DALLAS RENEGADES (5-5 last season)

The Renegades ditched the Arlington name and turned back to Dallas as their city representative. Bob Stoops is out as long time head coach of these Renegades. The Renegades hand over the headset to long time college and NFL coach Rick Neuheisel.

Ricky Neuheisel knows some things about spring football. He was undrafted out of college and played his first professional season of football in the USFL with the San Antonio Gunslingers back in 1984. He also was the head coach of the Arizona Hot Shots in the AAF (American Alliance Football League) back in 2019. The league ran out of money and could not finish the regular season. Neuheisel had the Hot Shots at 5-3 at the time. They were definitely one of the top teams in the league and would have made it to the post-season. The Renegades may have the best quarterback in the league in Luis Perez who is king of the spring fling over the last several years and multiple teams and leagues. Perez has found a home with the Renegades as he helped them win the entire league in the last year of the XFL. The Renegades have plenty of their roster returning for this season. However this team has lost so many close games at the very end of regulation the last two years. If Neuheisel could change that, then look for Dallas to be one of the top teams in the league.

#6. HOUSTON GAMBLERS (5-5 as the Roughnecks last season)

When the XFL and USFL merged, both leagues had a team from Houston. The league chose the Houston from the USFL but changed their name to the XFL nicknamed Roughnecks. This season Houston will be back to the Gamblers name from the old USFL days. Curtis Johnson was the head coach last year for the Roughnecks. He will move on as the franchise is going back to Houston native Kevin Sumlin, a long time college coach. In 2022 he was the head coach of the Gamblers in the USFL. So talk about circling the wagons. Last year Houston just missed the post-season. They beat two out of the 4 playoff teams from last year in the final weeks. Their veteran QB Jalen McClendon has moved on to the Columbus Aviators.

Could Tua Tagovailoa’s younger brother light up the UFL? At Maryland University, Taulia Tagovailoa had his own version of TUA TIME as he razzled and dazzled opponents in the Big Ten. The Gamblers also have Nolan Henderson who showed some promise last year in the Roughnecks uniform. QB play is the most important factor on the football field. Bad QB play will keep you down in the standings and the power rankings all season long. It will be interesting to see which QB Houston goes with.

#7. ORLANDO STORM (Last season as the San Antonio Brahmas they went 1-9.)

Orlando is one of the new cities in this season’s UFL. The Storm inherited a bad team from last year, the San Antonio Brahmas who had the worst defense in the UFL last year. If you are a new fan of the UFL and live in Orlando, you should feel optimistic because your team has one of the best coaches in the league in Anthony Becht. The last few years Becht was head coach of the St. Louis BattleHawks and he has led them to the post-season in almost every season which includes going back to the XFL days. To improve the defense from last season, Becht has a few guys he coached last year on this Storm team. They are former BattleHawks safety Nate Meadows along with linebacker Tavante Beckett.

The Storm have a law firm as their quarterback in Dorian Thompson-Robinson who played two seasons with the Browns in 2023 & ’24. Dorian’s NFL experience may payoff as he played in 15 NFL games. He won 1 start out of 4 behind center. His stats are not very good with 1 touchdown pass to 10 interceptions. He’s 26 years of age and we have to cut him some slack because he played for a bad Browns organization where QB play in jinxed. The back up is Jack Plummer, no relation to former NFL star QB Jake the Snake. He played his college football at Purdue and Louisville.

#8. LOUISVILLE KINGS (Last year as the Memphis Showboats they went 2-8.)

Louisville is one of the new cities in this season’s UFL. Unfortunately the Kings franchise inherited the Showboats from last season. The good news is the first year in Louisville is not the entire roster from last year’s Showboats team. The Kings will keep some of the players from last season that are roster-worthy.

The new city in the UFL has a new head coach, former NFL quarterback Chris Redman. The city of Louisville will remember Redman as he played his college ball there for the Cardinals. Redman played 8 years in the NFL basically for the Ravens and Falcons. He started 12 games and went 4-8 as a starter. He threw 21 touchdown passes to 14 interceptions in a total of 30 NFL games. He won a Superbowl with the Ravens. All the quarterbacks the Kings have are new to the UFL. Most likely, former Kansas Jayhawks starter Jason Bean will be QB 1 to start the season. Being a back up QB all those years in the NFL, Redman may get the best out of all his quarterbacks. The Kings in this league will have to earn their crowns.

ROD STRICKLAND HAS CREATED SOME TEETH IN THE LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL PROGRAM

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Every March Madness tournament I always have to look up a university wondering where the institution came from. These are the universities that make the best Cinderella teams. That’s where the Madness name comes from, seeing schools most of the country has never heard of take down a basketball powerhouse from time to time. Most of these schools come in as 16 seeds. Only two 16 seeds in the history of the tournament have upset a number 1 seed. We always remember Fairleigh Dickinson and the first school ever to accomplish this task, UMBC. This year I had to look up High Point University as they came in as a number 12 seed and took down the Badgers of Wisconsin University. My first guess on High Point was that they were located somewhere in the Rockies like Colorado. They are from North Carolina. Schools like Lehigh and Prairie View A&M, Queens, and Cal Baptist sound like community colleges. One question I had was what LIU stood for. I found out they were Long Island University which is easy to determine they are from New York. Nicknamed the Sharks. They have a great story with former NBA star Rod Strickland as their head coach. LIU only won three games in Strickland’s first season 4 years ago as they were the worst basketball university in the country. To turn this program around that quickly is an amazing job. It’s nice to get to the dance. Then to face the Wildcats of Arizona University and go up against the odds of trying to be the 3rd 16th seed to knock out a number 1 is a David versus Goliath kind of match up. Strickland Sharks are not Great Whites.

Rod Strickland’s last year in the NBA was in 2005. He was originally drafted by the New York Knicks in the 1988 NBA draft in the first round 19th overall from DePaul University. He would debut for the Knicks, his hometown team, in 1988 as Strickland is a Bronx native. He would not last very long in his town. Only parts of two seasons. Strickland was a point guard who lasted 17 seasons in the NBA. Nicknamed Hot Rod or was referred to as Lightning Round for his play on the hardwood courts. He would be remembered mostly for playing with the Portland Trailblazers or Washington Bullets at the time as he played in those two cities for 5 seasons each. He was a basketball mutt who also suited up for the Spurs, Heat, Timber Wolves, Magic, Rockets, and Raptors. In 17 seasons, Hot Rod averaged 13.2 points per game, 3.7 rebounds per game and dishing out the ball 7.3 times a game. He definitely had a solid basketball career his entire life. After basketball he got into coaching. He was the program manager in the NBA G-league before the opportunity of coaching in his home state came along with the Sharks. Strickland is 59 years of age and looks like a guy that is starting to grasp the head coaching job at the college level and constructing a long term solid program for the University which they really never had in their history.

LIU hails from the North East conference. The Sharks won the NEC tournament to get the automatic bid for the NCAA tournament. The Sharks also won the NEC conference with a 15-3 record this season. In 2025 LIU finished with a 17-16 record overall. They were 12-4 in their conference play and finished second in the standings. This year they finished with a 24-11 record and dominated at home with 14-1 record. Rod Strickland after the NBA and before the G-league at a administrative role at the University of Kentucky under head coach John Calipari. Hot Rod also served as an assistant coach for Southern Florida. In the NBA G-league he evaluated while educating along with mentoring top high school players to prepare them for a path to the NBA. You could see how Strickland took all his tools he learned along the way and used them in his first head coaching job with Long Island University. LIU is a small school, so he will not always get the top players who will most of the times get scooped up by bigger schools. Strickland’s work on the court has shown with guard Greg Gordon who was NEC defensive player of the year. Plus he earned NEC tournament MVP honors. I love the fact Strickland comes from the NBA when the league actually played defense. This LIU is known for playing very well defending the 3 point line. Obviously the Wild Cats were too much to handle for Strickland’s bunch. This would have been an even better story if the Sharks took a huge bite out of the pussy cats from the desert. They would have been the Cinderella story if they knocked out the Wildcats. We may be seeing the start of a basket ball program on the rise with Strickland being in charge of things. Maybe next year this team will earn it’s first single digit seed in the NCAA Tournament. I wouldn’t mind seeing this school become a staple in the tournament for years to come. I just need to purchase a Sharks hoodie and I’ll be a fan of theirs for years to come and hope they take a bite out out the next basketball powerhouse. This time gobble them up like a Great White would do! Fins up for LIU’s future!!!

It’s Long Island University first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 2018. In 2018 LIU had to battle it out making the First 4 of the tournament in which they lost to another 16th seed Radford. This year Hot Rod had the Sharks a step better than the 2018 team as LIU came in as a 16 and avoided the first 4 part of the tournament. The first time the school made the tournament, you have to go back to 1981 when they came in as a 12 seed. In 1984 LIU had their best seed in their tournament life as a number 11 seed. That year they lost a close one to Northwestern University. Originally they were the Brooklyn Blackbirds as they captured two NIT championships. The first in 1939 and the second in ’41. In 1951 several Blackbird players were implicated in a point shaving scandal. The University had to shut down their athletic program for a few seasons. The Brooklyn Blackbirds would eventually merge two athletic programs with the LIU Pioneers in 2019 and were renamed the Sharks. With the first round loss to the Wildcats yesterday, the school is now 0-8 all-time in the NCAA tournament and has never been a single seed.

RETURN TO SENDER

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Right before the start of the NFL free agent frenzy, the biggest trade made was between the Baltimore Ravens and the Las Vegas Raiders. The Ravens acquired one of the top pass rushers in the NFL in 28 year old 5x Pro Bowler Mad Maxx Crosby. The Ravens have never traded any of their first round picks in their franchise history. To acquire a talent like Crosby with other teams making bids, the Ravens sealed the deal with a 2026 1st round pick along with a ’27 first round pick. It looked like the Ravens upgraded their defense with one of the fiercest pass rushers in the league. Crosby was not looking to go through another rebuild with the Raiders who already have the number one draft pick this April. The deal was orchestrated before the official NFL year begins. Plus every deal depends on pending physicals for players involved. Crosby would be looked at by the Ravens doctors in Baltimore and they apparently did not like what they saw with his off-season surgery. Crosby missed the last two games of the season due to a meniscus tear in the knee which he had it repaired with off-season surgery. The Ravens backed out of the deal and the trade was cancelled. Right after the trade, the Ravens signed another stud pass rusher in Trey Hendrickson who was available through free agency. The Raiders along with some football experts would call the Ravens backing out of the deal very dirty. As if they had two plans in motion the entire time.

With the Ravens backing out of the deal with the Raiders, they will have access to those two first round draft picks back in their arsenal. They still get one of the elite pass rushers in the NFL as well without having to give up any draft capital. The Ravens signed the 31 year old Hendrickson to a 4 year deal worth 120 million to play for the Ravens. This move also steals one of the Ravens archrival’s players away from the Cincinnati Bengals. Originally Hendrickson was drafted by the Saints back in the 3rd round of the 2017 NFL draft from Florida Atlantic University. He played for the Saints his first 4 years out of his 9 year NFL career so far. He signed with the Bengals in free agency and has played in Cincinnati for the last 5 seasons. Hendrickson only played in 7 games last year as he had a season-ending injury that occurred in week six. It was a core muscle injury originally reported in his hip pelvis region. In week 8 he re-aggravated the same injury because he continued to play after week 6. The Ravens doctor must have liked what they saw from Hendrickson during his physical because the contract was signed and he finally got his money. Hendrickson has been creating plenty of noise with the Bengals for not giving him the top money his position makes in the NFL. Before last year’s season started, he was threatening to hold out until his demands were made. The Bengals and Hendrickson never hammered out a long term deal. Hendrickson is older than Mad Maxx Crosby. In seven games last year, Hendrickson had 4 sacks, 11 solo tackles, and forced one fumble. In ’23 and ’24 Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks in back-to-back seasons. Those two seasons Hendrickson tallied 17.5 sacks in each of those two seasons. Hendrickson in 9 seasons has racked up 81 sacks.

What does this mean for the Raiders as their trade is blown up by the dirty Ravens? After the Raiders thought the deal was done with the Ravens, they went on a shopping spree for players in the free agent market. The Raiders added some solid linebackers to their defense with the signing of Quay Walker along with former Eagle, Nakobe Dean.

Dean helped the Eagles trash the Kansas City Chiefs in the Superbowl. The Raiders added some much needed offensive help as well. They signed a veteran receiver in Jalen Nailor, a former Viking who had 4 touchdowns last year. The best signing was taking away the Ravens top offensive lineman in Tyler Linderbaum who will be the Raiders new center this upcoming season. When Mad Maxx Crosby arrived in Baltimore, he was watching the moves his former team was making. The Raiders certainly will draft the best quarterback option in April by selecting the Heisman trophy winner from University of Indiana, Fernando Mendoza, who also helped the Hoosiers win the National Championship. The shopping spree the Raiders just had will not effect the salary cap even if the Las Vegas keeps Crosby next season. The Raiders have enough room to keep all the players they just signed and still have enough space to pay Mad Maxx.

How long will this Raiders rebuild take? The Raiders coming into the off-season had some nice pieces on offense. Ashton Jeanty was the top pick for the Raiders last year in the first round 6th overall. He rushed for 975 yards and had 5 rushing touchdowns in his rookie season. The Raiders’ new head coach will have a better offensive design for Jeanty. Klint Kubiak’s offense featured two star running backs for Seattle last year. The Raiders also have a tight end in Brock Bowers who is closing in on being one the top tight ends in the NFL. I believe Mendoza will be a solid quarterback for years to come. The Raiders could trade Crosby and get some more draft capital or keep him and ride him out through the end of his contract. Keeping him will help this Raiders team get to their goals quicker. He wanted to leave, not wanting to be involved in another rebuild. His heart seems to have always been with the silver and black. Tom Brady, who I hate, is part owner of this Raiders franchise. His voice is being heard. Eventually every team wants a solid pass rusher. The Raiders have one again. You can pay guys some big money when your rookie QB is on a rookie deal. Brady’s pride is on the line with his Raiders. He does not like to lose. He will win more with Crosby and help than without Mad Maxx and the help. When it comes time to pay your QB after his first contract concludes, then you can cut ties with Crosby. This could be a blessing in disguise for the Raiders. Crosby will play with a chip on his shoulder to prove himself to be healthy and able to play in the NFL, to the entire league. Meanwhile the Dirty Ravens need more players on that defense than just Trey Hendrickson. If the Ravens go into the season as is, it’s like Hendrickson playing on those bad Bengals defenses for the last few seasons. It seems like Hendrickson is one step & one play away from breaking down completely at his age as injuries have followed him. Back and hip issues are not a good recipe for playing football at a high level. Attaching yourself onto Lamar Jackson to complete your Superbowl dreams is not a smart decision. I think Jackson will never win a Superbowl and may never get a team to that kind of a game in the first place.

WHICH NFL TEAM HAS HAD THE BEST QUARTERBACK SIGNING SO FAR IN FREE AGENCY?

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Many of the available quarterbacks that made it to free agent waters have been gobbled up by teams. The quarterback position is the most important piece on a football chessboard. It’s the king piece. Some teams have dumped their own quarterback to pursue another general behind center. The draft this year may only solve one team’s quarterback room as this is not the QB class to fix the most important piece. We all know the Indiana University QB Fernando Mendoza will be scooped up by Tom Brady’s Raiders. The Colts did not allow Daniel Jones to be set free as they held him hostage with the franchise tag. Indiana Jones and the Colts worked out a new contract to keep him in Indianapolis. What Jones did for the Colts last year before the injury, that was a no brainer bringing him back. That is probably the best QB signing. This off-season had 5 quarterbacks in free agent waters. All 5 guys have seen enough action to be a starter in the league or a solid back up choice. Out of the 5 QB’s, who will make the biggest difference for their new team next season? Some of these guys may be just bridge gap starters next season. Hold the keys to the car for a portion of the season to immediately hand them over to someone else. The free agent waters still have a few quarterback options in Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Russell Wilson. Those are three names that were once a solid option for a team a few years back. Out of those three guys, I think only Cousins still has something left in the tank. He’s riding on fumes. I rank the 5 quarterbacks that were recycled this off-season. Starting with worst to first.

#5. GENO SMITH

Geno Smith is circling the wagons back to where it all started for him in New York with the Jets, the team that drafted him. Smith’s lone season with the Raiders was horrific. I know the Raiders really did not have a solid team around him with a reunion with head coach Pete Carroll. I don’t know who had the worst year between both these X-Seattle guys, Carroll or Smith? Seahawks fans are rejoicing not having either of these guys. Carroll in his return to the NFL after stepping away from coaching, his comeback would be one and done. Smith played his best football in a Seattle uniform. Last year as a starter, Smith went 2-13. He did complete 67.4% of his passes but was in the league leaders in interceptions. Smith since 2023 has led all quarterbacks in the NFL with interceptions. If Jameis Winston was playing full time, Smith would be second on this list. The Jets are always desperate for a quarterback as they strike out with all their draft picks trying to land the king piece.

I feel like the Jets should create their own quarterback like the guys in Weird Science, the movie where they create their own woman. This is a desperate reach by the Jets bringing back Smith. They had the same desperation last year with the Justin Fields signing, which they may still have him on their roster. In 12 seasons, Smith is 42-56 as a starting QB. In his first stint with the Jets in 4 seasons, he went 12-18 as their starter. More of the same here.

#4. GARDNER MINSHEW

The Cardinals released Kyler Murray to the free agent waters. Is it too late for Murray to play baseball? Murray was released despite still having plenty of years on his contract. He was injured last season most of the year. I get why he was released because he has not been good in a long time. The Cardinals signed Gardner Minshew, a guy that seems to find a new team every year. Minshew was a back up to Patrick Mahomes last season with the Chiefs. When his number was called to start a game after Mahomes was injured last season, it was not a good day at the office for Minshew. He suffered a season ending injury like Mahomes. His performance in a Chiefs uniform in 4 games is nothing to write home to mom about. When a team does sign Minshew and if he is not the starter, it seems like he always finds a few games on the field due to number 1 being injured. Minshew has had some solid years. In 2023 he was 7-6 as the starting QB for the Colts. In ’24, he went 2-7 as the Raiders starting QB. That tells you something about two franchises right there. He is a streaky QB & probably better as a back up option. The Cardinals already have Jacoby Brissett who started the most games for the Cardinals last year at the quarterback position. With Minshew and Brissett, you are basically getting the same guy. Two career back ups that have a knack at getting the starting job due to injuries and playing on multiple teams.

Minshew’s nickname is The Mustache or the Jock Strap King. He is a guy after football that could go right into the porn industry and do flashbacks of the 1970’s style action. Maybe he could also get a part in a series like a Sons of Anarchy reboot if they ever go down that avenue. As a starter, Minshew has a record of 17-30. I don’t see the Jock Strap King being the KING chess piece for the Cardinals very long this up-and-coming season.

#3. TUA TIME

Tua Tagovailoa was released by the Dolphins as Miami has a huge portion of their salary cap with dead money. Tua will be on the books for the Dolphins next season and beyond. The Falcons have a low risk high ceiling type of move here. By signing Tua, you are bringing in a veteran QB for peanuts which the Falcons will be paying him. The Falcons own the market for south paw quarterbacks that are injury prone. The Falcons still have 25 year old Michael Penix on their roster, a guy who was drafted in 2024. Is he a bust? In 14 games Penix is 4-8 as a starter for the Falcons in two seasons. Penix had a history of injury problems back in his college days. It is smart to have a solid back up in place in hot Atlanta.

It seems like Tua is always one hit away from being knocked into tomorrow with all the concussions he has suffered in the NFL. Last year Tua went 6-8 in his last season in a Dolphins uniform. He tossed 20 touchdown passes and also had 15 interceptions. Tua has a winning record overall as a starter at 44-32. He has thrown 120 touchdown passes in his career. This is a move that could work well for the Falcons. He’s cheap. He has a chip on his shoulder from being released looking to prove himself to the league. The Falcons play in a a bad division, they call the NFC South. If TUA TIME plays out, he may have an easier way back to the post-season than he did staying in Miami. The Falcons have some nice solid weapons around him. If he gets protection, he could help this Falcons team win that division this upcoming season.

#2. MALIK WILLIS

The former Titan and Packers back up QB Malik Willis is Tua Tagovailoa’s replacement for the Dolphins. This is an interesting signing by the Dolphins. Willis being a back up in a Packer uniform has come into games and has played well. In 4 games last season, he completed 85.7% of his passes. He had three touchdown passes & no interceptions. He did lose his only start he made last year. He is 26 years of age and has only played in the league for 4 seasons. He has made only six starts & has a 3-3 record in those 4 seasons. Did the Titans give him a fair shake in Tennessee or give up on him too early?

Being the starter is way different than being the back up guy. Can Willis be QB number 1 now? The Dolphins will not be a good team this upcoming season. They have sold off many of their pieces on the board. They have a new coaching staff. What about last year’s back up QB for the Dolphins, 22 year old Quinn Ewers? He went 1-2 as the starter for the Dolphins to finish the season. Ewers could learn from Willis as he did that/done that coming off the bench to play. Willis is a duel threat QB & more of a game manager than a guy that will beat you on the last drive of the game. The Dolphins still have some playmakers on that roster. I could see Willis playing well but not winning many games because of the defense and the roster will have many young guys on it. The Dolphins will need a solid O-line for Willis to be successful in South Beach. This will not be an easy job. I think Willis will thrive in his new opportunity.

#1. KYLER MURRAY

This is a very good signing by the Vikings. They inked Kyler Murray on the cheap side of things as his former team will be on the hook paying their old QB majority of his money this upcoming season. This move is the same type the Falcons made signing Tua Tagovailoa. It’s a low risk high ceiling. The Vikings, like the Falcons, have a quarterback they drafted in 2024 in JJ McCarthy. Unfortunately McCarthy did not play in ’24 as he had a season ending injury that kept him out the entire year. That’s when the Vikings inserted Sam Darnold. The Vikings almost had the number 1 seed under Darnold in the NFC from his play. Last year Darnold signed with Seattle because the Vikings still needed to see what they had in McCarthy. The Vikings missed the playoffs as McCarthy had a roller coaster season going 6-4 in 10 starts. He missed some games with injuries. He threw 11 touchdown passes compared to 12 interceptions which would be his rookie season. The Cardinals won three games last season and Murray won two of them as a starter. Murray only played in 5 games due to injuries. In 2023, Murray only played in 8 games. Murray is only 28 years of age, has been in the league for 7 seasons and has thrown 121 touchdown passes compared to only 60 interceptions. Murray’s tenure only got the Cardinals to the post-season once in 2021. The Cardinals lost that only post-season appearance Murray had. As a starter Murray has a losing record at 38-48-1 during regular season. Can the Vikings be that team they had with Darnold, only with Murray behind center? Is this the end of McCarthy? The Vikings should keep both quarterbacks because both guys are injury prone. With Murray, the Vikings will have a duel threat QB with a chip on his shoulder. Same with McCarthy he will have a chip on his shoulder looking back at Murray. The Vikings have a ton of playmakers including one of the best receivers in the NFL with Justin Jefferson. The Vikings defense is very solid. The Vikings as a team finished the season on a hot streak. It was too late because they missed the post-season. The Vikings have had a ton of success inserting veteran QB’s behind center. Murray, out of the entire available QB’s on the market this off-season, is the best option. If he stays healthy, the Vikings will be back in post-season. Murray is looking for that next long term deal. Will history repeat itself like Darnold if Murray does well? Can you depend on Murray beyond this upcoming season if he does well?

THE SAINTS ADD SOME SOLID PIECES AROUND TYLER SLOUGH

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When Kellen Moore was hired to be the head coach of the New Orleans Saints last season, he was coming into a very difficult situation. After Moore’s short playing career on the gridiron came to an end with the Dallas Cowboys, he immediately went into coaching. The Cowboys gave him his first coaching job in the NFL. Moore was the offensive coordinator for the Eagles when they stampeded over the Chiefs in Superbowl LIX and became one of the hotter coordinators which the Saints pounced on. Moore is only 37 years of age and took a job with the Saints with three young quarterbacks of whom two were drafted in the later rounds. Not one of them was drafted in the first round. The team was in salary cap hell. The Big Easy was not going to be easy for Moore who had his team in almost every game as they hit many bumps in the road along the way. It took until the middle of the season to finally find a quarterback out of three guys without much experience coming into the 2025 season. Moore, who was a former quarterback in the NFL, got the best results from rookie Tyler Shough. The Saints drafted him in the 2nd round as he played his college ball with Oregon University and Texas Tech. Shough would start 9 games, had a winning record of 5-4, and finished the season off strong.

In 2023 the Saints went out and signed veteran quarterback Derek Carr after the Raiders benched him in ’22 & then released him into the wild. It seems like back then the Saints were in salary cap hell. In ’23, Carr was supposed to be the team’s savior and get the Saints back to the post-season. The Saints just missed the post-season as Carr finished with a 9-8 record. In 2024 Carr would try again, started 10 games, and finished 5-5 for the season. His season was cut down short due to injury that would lead to his retirement after the season concluded. Those other seven games went to the young-en’s. Like Jake Haener who was drafted in the 4th round of the 2023 draft. He went to multiple schools, as he played college ball at Washington University and Fresno State. He lost his only start. Spencer Rattler received the most action out of the three young QB’s in ’24 & ’25. Rattler was drafted in the 5th round of the 2024 NFL draft. He also went to multiple schools as he played his college ball for Oklahoma and South Carolina University. He finished 0-6 for the season. Then Rattler would be Moore’s number 1 guy starting the 2025 season. After 8 games, Rattler did win his first ever NFL start. However he started 8 games and finished 1-7. Then Moore made the switch and found his starter with Tyler Shough.The Saints, who drafted a quarterback three straight seasons, finally hit pay dirt. Shough completed 67.6% of his passes for 2,384 passing yards. He threw 10 touchdown passes and did have 6 interceptions. The 26 year old showed you poise in the pocket. He showed he had great mobility as he used his legs on several plays for a touchdown or to extend the drives. The Saints won 4 straight games and 4 of their last 5 games to end the season. Let’s remember the Saints traded away one of their top playmakers in their receiving core at the deadline. The Seattle Seahawks acquired speedster Rashid Shaheed from New Orleans at the deadline. In Shough’s 9 games, he had some key injuries to some of his other playmakers on the offense. The Saints continue to march with Shough and Moore being the QB whisperer.

The Saints salary cap became less than a burden with some big names coming off the cap hitting the free agent market. The Saints made two interesting moves to give Moore’s offense more traction. The Saints signed 27 year old running back former Jaguar Travis Ehienne who went on a tear in the second half of last season. Travis is a Louisiana native as well and wanted to be closer to home. Then solidifying the offensive line with 28 year David Edwards who helped protect Josh Allen for the Bills the last three seasons. Etienne gets a 4 year deal worth 52 million. While Edwards also gets a 4 year deal worth 61 million. Etienne was drafted in 2021 and was a first round pick out of Clemson University by Jacksonville. Meanwhile Edwards is from my home state of Illinois where he hails out of a suburb called Downers Grove. He played his college ball at Wisconsin University. He was drafted in the 5th round of the 2019 NFL draft by the LA Rams where he played 4 seasons and helped them win a Superbowl.

With the addition of Travis Ethienne, what will the Saints do with their other star running back Alvin Kamara? Kamara already has 9 seasons in the NFL. Kamara is a duel threat style running back who can run through the tackles and also catch the ball out of the back field while being productive. Karmara was reduced to only 11 games last year with injuries. He tallied up 471 rushing yards and caught 33 balls. With Kamara’s arrival in the league being drafted in 2017 by the Saints, he shared the load with Mark Ingram II. They formed a solid two-headed monster in the back field. Ethienne last year tallied 1,107 rushing yards and found the end zone 7 times. In 4 seasons he has tallied up 3,798 rushing yards and has 25 touchdowns. Kamara seems like that type of guy that would be okay with splitting the duties. Kellen Moore may get better production out of both running backs splitting up the carries or go with the hotter hand that game day. Kamara could be a nice 3rd down back. The Saints could also trade Kamara and get some draft capital for this April’s draft.

The Saints are residents in a terrible division with teams like the Panthers, Buccaneers, and the Falcons. The Saints finished the season last year in last place but beat the Panthers and Buccaneers. Panthers were swept by the Saints and won the division. These are some savvy moves by New Orleans landing a guy like David Edwards to reinforce the line who has a ton of playoff experience. Then adding a talented running back like Travis Ethienne automatically upgrades that position. The Saints have a number 1 receiver in Chris Olave who caught 100 balls last year for over 1,000 yards with 9 touchdown catches. If Tyler Shough continues to develop, this Saints team is marching in the right direction for a change.

THE RAVENS ADDING MAD MAXX IS THE TELL-TALE HEART BALTIMORE NEEDS TO FINISH GAMES

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The Baltimore Ravens have never in the history of their franchise traded a number one pick for a veteran player. The Ravens are looking for new ways to find an old format they used for plenty of years by establishing a solid defense. Just having Lamar Jackson, their best quarterback in franchise history, is not cutting the mustard to win it all. The purple and black old recipe was a psychopath like Ray Lewis storming your front door off the hinges and killing your quarterback while his friends murder your entire family. The Ravens have won Superbowls with middle tier quarterback play with veteran guys like Trent Dilfur and Joe Flacco. Jackson seems to vanish in the 4th quarter as the Ravens in the last 5 seasons have blown 16 leads. The ole purple and black defense can’t even protect two of those games that the Ravens had double digit leads in. Jackson would be too cool for school yucking it up with his posse on the sidelines thinking most of these games were in the bag. The Ravens fired their head coach John Harbaugh who helped win one of the Ravens’ two Superbowls. However he has not won one with Jackson as his quarterback. The Ravens went out & hired another defensive minded coach and added a disruptor to their defense. Another psychopath. A guy that can blow the doors off the opponent’s offensive line and kill the quarterback. The Ravens paid a dear price to acquire Mad Maxx Crosby from the Raiders. It will cost them two first round picks, one this season and the other in 2027. Now the Ravens have found a closer for the 4th quarter.

Maxx Crosby was perfect for the Oakland Raiders who drafted him in the 4th round of the 2019 NFL draft from Eastern Michigan. The name Maxx comes with an intimidating beard along with all the tattoos & wearing silver and black with the Raider logo on the helmet. Playing in front of a fan base that was called the Black Hole. He had to earn the nickname, Mad Maxx, which did not take long as he had 10 sacks in his first season. The Raiders moved to Las Vegas where Maxx has played the last 6 seasons. In 7 seasons Crosby has played in 110 games and has racked up 69.5 total sacks. He has racked up 278 solo tackles and has forced 11 fumbles. He has made 5 Pro-bowls in 7 seasons. Last year he played in 15 games in his last season wearing the silver and black. He had 10 sacks, 45 tackles, and forced 2 fumbles. The Raiders gave their beloved defensive lineman a 3 year extension worth 106.5 million. The Raiders had another clunker of a season and Mad Maxx was not liking his Thunderdome. He has only played in 1 career playoff game with the Raiders which was a loss in 2021. The Raiders management sent Crosby home before the season concluded, claiming he had a knee issue. He missed two games. Some think without Crosby on the field it helped the Raiders tank the rest of the season to land the number1 pick of this April’s draft. The Raiders ownership has done weird things with their star players like Crosby. They had a beef with Derek Carr as he was benched and was sent home instead of working out their issues with their star players. Crosby finishes 3rd all-time on the Raiders sack list.

Greg Townsend is number one tallying up 107.5 sacks. The great Howie Long is number 2 all-time on the silver and black list with 84 total sacks. Then Mad Maxx finished with 69.5. If he stayed with the Raiders you have to believe he would have broken Long’s and Townsend’s record.

Will opposing quarterbacks hear the heartbeat of the telltale heart louder in the 4th quarter with Mad Maxx Crosby on the field? The Ravens did not make post-season and their defense was freaking terrible the last two seasons. The last time the Ravens had a solid defense it was when Mike Macdonald was the team’s defensive coordinator. As you know he has been in Seattle only two seasons and the Seahawks have already won the Superbowl with a defense he established called the Darkside.

It was Seattle’s defense that played a huge part of winning the Superbowl several weeks ago. The Ravens went out and got one of the best defensive coordinators in the league to be the next team’s head coach as they hired Chargers’ Jessee Minter. Now adding Maxx Crosby to the present Ravens defense that includes a stud line backer in Roquan Smith and safety Mike Hamilton, the Ravens got a solid piece up front, in the middle, and back of their defense. Like the Ravens of the old with Ray Lewis in the middle. They had Ed Reed at the back end. Then Terrell Suggs rushing the QB. Those guys had other cast members which the Ravens will have to find. When it comes to finishing games, Maxx Crosby has 22.5 of his sacks in the 4th quarter. He has 17 tackles for a loss of yardage in the final 5 minutes of regulation. Lamar Jackson couldn’t win by himself. So they gave him wide receivers to help the passing game. Same results. They could still not win, so they went out and signed the best running back in the league in Derrick Henry. Same result – they could not win in post-season play. Jackson’s record in post-season is 3-5 which is not very impressive. Can Crosby change that?

The Ravens are paying Maxx Crosby a big amount of money and it’s costing them a lot in draft capital just to get his services.To rubs some salt on wounds from the strenuous salary cap of the Ravens after taking on Crosby’s contract. The Raiders may have added the last laugh after acquiring two first rounders from Baltimore. They signed the Ravens top offensive lineman center free agent, Tyler Linderbaum, to a big contract.

Welcome to salary cap hell as the Ravens will be living the dream. Believe me every team would want to have a Mad Maxx Crosby with a motor that never stops. I think his jersey will sell more than Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. I believe that Baltimore defense will get back to their old recipe with more sauce. I think this franchise needs a change at the quarterback position. Jackson will never win a Superbowl. The Seahawks won the big game with a guy in Sam Darnold that was going down First Round Bust Boulevard for several years. Jackson is a superstar in the NFL. He does not have the mentality to win the entire league. Crosby will not be the guy that gets Jackson to the promised land. It will be another quarterback that Mad Maxx will be riding with down Fury Road.

The Ravens management will see when the telltale heart starts growing louder & louder with Jackson’s failures. Until the mind set starts to explode with all the Jackson noise. In the end the signs were all over the woodwork, which they missed. Find someone that will take on Jackson’s contract. Then invest your money wisely. Find that guy like a Darnold. Improve the cast on that Fury Road defense. Then you will see the Ravens winning the Superbowl with their old format.

BILLS & BEARS HAMMER OUT A DEAL TO HELP EACH OTHER’S NEEDS

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The NFL trade market is heating up right before free agency starts. The Chicago Bears and the Buffalo Bills strike up a big time deal that both franchises hopes each side will benefit from. The Bills acquire wide receiver DJ Moore from the Bears along with a 5th round draft pick in 2026. Meanwhile the Bears get the Bills second round pick this April along with getting rid of Moore’s huge contract from the books. Did the Bills finally get a legit number 1 receiver since Stephon Diggs was sent packing a few seasons ago?

DJ Moore was drafted originally by the Carolina Panthers back in 2018 in the first round out of Maryland, 24th overall. Moore has played 8 seasons in the NFL – 5 with Carolina and three with the Bears. He is 28 years old. Last season he played in all 17 regular season games, caught 50 balls while tallying up 608 receiving yards, and hauling 6 touchdown passes. In 8 seasons in the NFL, Moore has caught 608 passes for 8,213 yards and has 41 receiving touchdowns. Moore has never made it to the NFL Pro-Bowl. He has racked over 1,000 receiving yards in 4 out of the 8 seasons he has played in the NFL. Last year playing in his first post-season games, in 2 games he was targeted 15 times & caught 11 balls. He had two touchdowns. In the OT game in the divisional round, it looked like he stopped his route short versus the Rams which led to Caleb Williams’ interception. Moore was part of a deal that landed the Panthers their first round quarterback in Bryce Young in a trade with the Bears. The two teams basically swapped number one picks as the Bears found their quarterback in Williams the next season after the Panthers picked Young in 2023.

The Chicago Bears had a magical season last year going deep into post-season. The Bears slayed their dragon finally beating the Packers twice in one season and one of those wins came in the post-season. Ben Johnson had done a terrific job in year one with the Bears. Finally, for the city of Chicago that has starved for a quarterback since the 1940’s when Sid Luckman played for the Bears. Chicago has seen quarterbacks but mostly they have been bad and not a franchise QB for years to come like Caleb Williams. Johnson has done wonders with Williams in only year 1 as Caleb will be in his third season in ’26. Why are the Bears trading one of Williams’ weapons away? The Bears benefited from an easy schedule last year. The team has plenty of needs on the roster. Especially on the defensive side. By trading Moore, the Bears salary cap loosens up. The Bears also released one of their stud linebackers in Tremaine Edmunds which will free up another 15 million dollars for the Bears. The Bears center, Drew Dalman, suddenly retired at the age of 27 after signing a 3 year deal to come to Chicago after playing for the Falcons. The Bears will need to address the center position. The Bears number 1 receiver is Rome Odunze. The Bears like how their other young receivers have blossomed in the NFL already with Jahdae Walker and Luther Burden III. The Bears could be shedding money off the books and collecting draft capital to pull off a big deal in the works. After making the playoffs, the Bears will differently get a tougher schedule this upcoming season. The Bears could use this available money and draft capital to plug in all the holes they have on this roster. To avoid looking like a pretender this upcoming season.

For the Bills it was another loss in heartbreaking fashion in post-season. This time it was not the Chiefs. It was the Broncos in OT in the AFC divisional round.

If Brandon Cooks comes down with this ball in OT vs the Broncos, Bills would have went to New England to play in the AFC Championship game. After that loss, the Bills owner axed their head coach in Sean McDermott. The new hire was in-house for the Bills in Joe Brady, the offensive coordinator. The Bills offense was still one of the tops in the NFL even with one of the worst receiving cores in the league. The Bills were riddled with injuries at that position. The team has counted on Keon Coleman, a 22 year old receiver, who completed his second season in the NFL from Florida State University, who the Bills selected in round two. He regressed in year 2. The Bills General Manager has tried to put a band aid on the position by gambling on average veterans which has not worked. The Bills had one legit receiver on their roster in Khalil Shakir. He thrives playing in the slot. The Bills had him doing a little bit of everything. Landing DJ Moore can put Shakir back in his comfort zone. Moore is yet another Carolina Panther connection as the Bills have feasted on that franchise’s coaches and players for several years now. Yes, Brady has worked with Moore back in their Carolina days.

The Bills are so desperate for a number one receiver you would have thought they could get Moore at a cheaper rate than giving up a 2nd round draft pick. Moore is coming off his lowest production season of his NFL career. He is 28 years of age and now will cost the Bills 24.5 million on the salary cap. Which the Bills are not in good shape with the salary cap. The Bills have plenty of their own free agents which they would like to bring a few of those guys back. If this deal works out, Moore is under contract through the 2029 season. I still would like the Bills to add another solid playmaker to the mix to go along with Moore and Shakir. I’d like to see the Bills bring back their two offensive linemen who will be testing the free agent market in center Connor McGovern and guard David Edwards. The Bills offensive line the last few years have been a staple of this team. The protection of Josh Allen is the most important thing. Plus, the line created holes for James Cook who won the league’s rushing title last year. The Bills GM, Brandon Beane, will have his work cut out for him this off-season, especially after this move by acquiring Moore from the Bears. The Bills still need defensive reinforcements for a new scheme they are putting down this upcoming season. Adding Moore will create more explosive plays the Bills lacked last season. Ben Johnson’s offense is run heavy at times with the two headed monster they have had at the running back position. The Bears have plenty of weapons all over the field which could have resulted in a down year for Moore stats-wise. In Buffalo it could be a total different story for Moore because right now he is the best receiver the team has. The Bills still have plenty of weapons with their tight ends and running backs. With Moore, defensive teams have to know where he is at all times. His addition gives Khalil Shakir less attention which could pay off in many ways. Joe Brady, like a Johnson in Chicago, has clever ways in the offensive scheme to use all his weapons. Right now I hate this move only for the money it will cost the Bills. This move is good for the Bears. I need to see another solid receiver option for the Bills this off-season while making sure that O-line does not suffer because of adding a high price receiver. This is a trade that could work out for both the Bears and Bills.