Time to dip into the UFL
mailbag to see what questions from the fans of the UFL have to ask about the
league so far…
“Can you explain to me how the once mighty Tampa Bay
Buccaneers franchise has fallen so far down the glory pole?”
Trevin, Springfield, NH
Dear Trevin,
I am not too sure if I want
to slide down this glory pole you speak of, but I do have some thoughts as to
what has happened here. GM Michaud clearly had a draft strategy, and that is
all I have because I just can’t seem to locate where he put it. The usually
well thought out draftees and free agents signings just did not happen. I think
that at the end of the day we can all agree that GM Michaud was not himself
that day, is it possible that he has an evil twin that we do not know about it?
Is Mel still alive? How can we know.. and I am starting to have my doubts….
“HOW ABOUT THEM COWBOYS!?!?”
Armando, StoneFalls, ON
I had the techs here at UFL
mailbag HQ trace the origin of this
email as something did not smell right, it lead us down a dark hole of the
internet where communication consisted of elongated syllables by what looked
like ordinary white people acting slightly less white. Just look at this
conversation and tell me I’m wrong:
1: “heyyyyyyyyyyyyyy whaaaatt
uppp”
2: “dammmmmmmm that issss
soooooooooooooo phhhat”
1: “yooo mannnnnnnnn I
knooooow”
2: “You gonnnnna startttt
CAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM nexxxtt weeeek?”
I still have my doubts about
the authenticity here, but all I have to say about the cowboys really is… how
about them cowboys!
“What will the feeling be like across the living room’s
of all the UFL GM’s the day the Giants loose their first game of the season”
John, Cincinnati, OH
I will let the normally
reserved people of Iceland’s
soccer community respond to that…
“If you could re-do the 2012 UFL draft, what would it
look like, knowing what we know now?”
Jermaine, Topeka, KS
Wow, great question Jermaine.
Yes, it is only 6 weeks into the UFL season and these young men have 5 years to
develop into the powerhouse talents that UFL GM’s hope they will. But if I go
by what I have seen I would certainly like to see perhaps a different order of
players selected. My post 6 week UFL 2012 re-draft would like this:
12th Overall –
Blair Walsh – PK
This season has been a real
renaissance for young legs. You have Greg Zurlein teeing off ICBMs in St-Louis
and Justin Tucker bringing some consistency to the Ravens. But it is Blair
Walsh in Minnesota
who is the standout here. Through 6 weeks he is 16 for 17 with 7 off those
coming from beyond 40 yards. Franchise kickers are rare and when you find one
are worth the 1st round gambit.
11th Overall - Randall
Cobb – WR
I hesitated in putting Cobb
on here, but he is on a team with an aging WR corps and he can get open, and
make people miss tackles. He is on the right team, and has tons of upside.
10th Overall – Coby
Fleener – TE
Fleener will be a franchise
TE for years to come. His established chemistry with Andrew Luck, and god given
skill set will work well long term in a young and feisty Colts offence that
will put up yardage and points.
9th Overall –
Kendall Wright – WR
Wright’s potential and work
ethic has paid off in spades. The Titans coaching staff showed supreme
confidence in him from the beginning by naming him a starter for Week 1, and he
has not looked back since then. While he may not have the long term potential
of an AJ Green or Julio Jones, Wright will establish himself snuggly as a
dominant WR for years to come.
8th Overall –
Russell Wilson – QB
Wilson kind of snuck up on everyone in the offseason, but
not on the shrewdly talented Mr. Mel. Pete Carroll loves youth, and Wilson fits the bill
perfectly for a Pete Carroll coached team. Our only hang up with Wilson is his size and the fact that he has a very pricey
backup in Seattle.
7th Overall –
Victor Cruz – WR
Cruz picked up from where he
left on in 2011. He is one Eli’s go to receivers in the red zone and the two
have great chemistry. His early season drops against the Cowboys had us
worried, but he has rebounded solidly since then, putting up both big yardage
and TD receptions.
6th Overall – Torrey
Smith - WR
His shocking arrival last
year caught many of us off guard. No one had him on their draft board. Well
that all changed this year and Smith was a first round pick in the 2012 UFL
draft. He continues to progress as legitimate deep threat on virtually every
down and is only improving as every game passes. His speed and skill cannot be
denied.
5th Overall – Ryan
Tannehill – QB
I had a lot of questions
about the converted WR. How would he handle the speed of the NFL? How would he
handle professional defenses? How would he cope in a system with terrible
receivers? What Tannehill has accomplished (besides landing a hot wife) is
pretty remarkable. He manages the offence well, has great poise, and a pretty
damn accurate arm. His instant chemistry with Brian Hartline, with whom he had
virtually no pre-season reps with, could be a long term threat to the rest of
the National Football League.
4th Overall –
Trent Richardson – RB
Richardson has been the man from the start in the Cleveland backfield. He
will see the ball a lot in an offence that will rely heavily on his ability to
carry the shoulder of the workload. I am worried about all the small injuries
that seem to be piling up, and given the Browns shady history recently in
keeping their backs healthy I worry that all that work they are placing on him
may wear him down sooner rather than later.
3rd Overall –
Alfred Morris – RB
By far the biggest surprise
of the year has been Alfred Morris. A crowded Redskins backfield and the
confidence of the coaching staff have given Morris a golden opportunity to
showcase why he deserves to be discussed in the elite category of NFL running
backs. Already in the top 5 for yardage, Morris may be the steal of the UFL draft
by the end of the season… he certainly is right now.
2nd Overall –
Andrew Luck – QB
Luck has so far come as
advertised. Confident, calm and collected in the pocket. He has a maturity that
most NFL quarterbacks need years to learn. His 4th quarter heroics have
already started and I feel like a legend is being born. There is no doubt that
he is on the road to a hall of fame like career, and any time you can draft a
future hall of famer, you do not hesitate… but…
1st Overall –
Robert Griffin III – QB
I debated long and hard on
this one, but in the end I had to go with flash over flat in picking RG3 over
Luck. RG3 has proven that he can play in the NFL. He has a coaching staff that
understands how he plays the game and has tailored a playbook that works perfectly
with his skill sets. I am worried about his size and injury potential, and feel
that ultimately Luck is the better long term QB, but if you had a guy for just
5 years like they do in the UFL, RG3 could be that special player that wins you
titles by just doing what he does.
Will the Dolphins ever decide to pick a direction and
stick with it?
Regis, Toledo, OH
Oh Miami. I wish I had an answer for that one. All
I can really say is that Dolphins are mammals, and like most mammals they make
irrational decisions. What I do know is that they finally had a decent draft
after years of failures. And if they can learn from their past mistakes, then
holding a combined 16 picks in the next 2 years means that the Dolphins could
be on the cusp on establishing a dynasty, or they could be setting themselves up
to be caught in giant tuna nets. Either way, I plan on sitting back and
enjoying the irrational chaos.
Who do you think will be the next team to relocate?
Bill, Portland, ME
Stability has never been the
UFL’s strong suit. But if you take a look at the UFL map, you will see
established franchises with loyal owners. But if you had a gun to my head and I
had to pick one team it would be the Chargers. Don’t ask me why, I just can’t
see GM Eric Kavagaskasjklian staying there for much longer.
If someone put a gun to your head and asked you to
predict the Supreme Bowl teams for this season, the Toilet bowl teams and the
scores for each respective game what would you tell them?
Matt, Festering, MI
A gun to my head? Really? Is
the UFL that popular? Are there online sports books hinging on this? I actually
think this question came from GM Teoli… so I will humor him this one time…
In the Supreme Bow I have the
Houston Texans falling to the Philadelphia Eagles, 42 – 36 and the Eagles winning their first ever UFL
title. Defense wins championships, and in the end the Eagles have the better
defense here.
As for the Toilet Bowl, at
this point it looks pretty clear that we will have a Redskins vs Bucs matchup,
something that is truly shocking considering where these 2 franchises finished last
year. Assuming the Redskins hold on to McCoy, Andre Johsnon and the Jets D, I
see them as the eventual TB winners… 28 – 15.
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That's it for the mailbag this week. If you have any questions for the uflguy please send them to me here at uflguy1@gmail.com