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Kickin’ it with Kiz: Why the Broncos would be foolish to trade for Arizona By Mark Kiszla Denver Post April 7, 2019

It’s time for a grown-up move. The Broncos need to rip off the Band-Aid and trade their first-round draft pick to the Arizona Cardinals for quarterback Josh Rosen, who probably would be the second quarterback taken in this year’s draft. His salary cap hit is less than $6 million per year for the next three seasons, and can spend his money on new coach Vic Fangio’s defense.

Ryan, doesn’t like

Kiz: OK, let’s hold a blind test. Quarterback A completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 6.2 yards per attempt and a QB rating of 76.7. Quarterback B completed 55.2 percent of his passes for 5.8 yards per attempt and a QB rating of 66.7. Quarterback A? with the Broncos. Quarterback B? Rosen with the Cards. You sure he’s the answer for Denver?

Wouldn’t it be something if the Avs won the Stanley Cup and the Nuggets won the NBA championship in the same year?

Peter, fly-fisherman

Kiz: Wouldn’t it be something if the Avs and the Nuggets both won a playoff series in the same year? That hasn’t happened since … well, come to think of it … we’ve never seen it happen.

One and done for the Nuggets. I’ve lost all confidence they will get past the first round. The refs will be especially vigilant in dealing with center Nikola Jokic, who’s not mature enough to realize these refs do hold grudges.

John, Littleton

Kiz: Every game, every possession and every shot gets heavier and harder in the NBA playoffs. Nobody is going to feel the weight more than Jokic, who must prove he can take over the fourth quarter the way Stephen Curry and James Harden do.

Kiz, was it you who said: “There are two sports seasons in Colorado. Football and Broncos offseason”?

Thomas, Harley rider

Kiz: For me, there really are only two seasons in Colorado. Ski season. And waiting for the first snow of the season.

It was obvious the Rockies needed more offense but did nothing in free agency except add an older, injury-prone infielder to play out of position.

P.B., Denver

Kiz: The fickle finger of Daniel Murphy’s injury squarely points at a problem manager Bud Black cannot hide. When he fills out the batting order, half of the bats in the lineup are iffy, at best. Yes, we’ve seen a small sample size of a long season. But add the shaky nature of this bullpen, and Colorado simply has too many holes on the 25-man roster to be a legit contender. The Rockies are going to need a boost from four or five players who currently aren’t on the team, or it could be a long summer in LoDo.

And today’s parting shot shows a little appreciation for the idea that if we want to keep the news real, we have to open our ears to the stuff we might not want to hear.

Kiz, I rarely bother sportswriters, but want to commend you for your recent criticism of the Rockies. You nailed it. I’m so glad you are not a lackey for the home sports teams.

Mike, Cotopaxi

Broncos drafting “natural-born athlete” in the first round would be an ideal pick By Ryan O’Halloran Denver Post April 7, 2019

The visuals from last December are likely fresh in the mind of Broncos general manager John Elway.

San Francisco tight end George Kittle’s five-yard catch on a shallow cross against linebacker Todd Davis. His 31-yard reception on a corner route when Davis’ eyes were stuck in the backfield. And his 85-yard on a short pattern when Davis, linebacker and safety inexplicably lost track of him.

The Broncos’ late-season swoon (four consecutive losses) began with their no-show against the 49ers in general (trailed 20-0 at halftime) and Kittle in particular (seven catches for 210 yards … all in the first half).

It could drive the Broncos’ decision regarding who they pick with the 10th overall selection on April 25.

Enter LSU linebacker Devin White? He could serve the same role did last year as a rookie for then-Chicago defensive coordinator/current Broncos coach Vic Fangio, physical enough to play the run and fleet enough to track tight ends.

“It would be great (to join the Broncos), knowing they have on one side and the G.O.A.T () on the other side,” White said at the Scouting Combine. “A lot of people won’t be keyed in on me and I’ll be a sneaky player that’s going to be a make a lot of plays.

“That would be a great fit for me.”

But will White even make it to the Broncos? He could go to Tampa Bay at No. 5 or a team like Pittsburgh, drafting at No. 20, could swing a monster trade to move up and select him.

Running the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds at 237 pounds during the Combine fueled the hype on White. And for good reason. Every-down linebackers are a valuable commodity in today’s NFL.

“I think he’s a guy that can stay on the field and play (in) all situations,” Fangio said. “The NFL has changed so much in the last few years. … You’re defending third-down stuff on first and second downs, too.”

The Broncos haven’t prioritized White’s type of skill (inside linebacker who can cover) high in the draft under Elway’s watch. Von Miller (2010), (2015) and Bradley Chubb (2018) were outside “” linebackers. Jewell was a fourth-round pick last year.

’Nightmare for SEC offenses’ White was a four-star high school prospect, but arrived at LSU with character concerns. At age 17, he was arrested (along with a teammate) for having consensual sex with a 14-year old girl (a misdemeanor in Louisiana) and a month later, was arrested for careless operation of a vehicle and flight from an officer. White’s invitation to the 2015 Under Armour All-America Game was rescinded.

But in three years at LSU, White only made headlines with his play.

Signed as a , but converted to linebacker, White played 38 games (25 starts) and had 286 tackles and 8 1/2 sacks. He won the honoring the nation’s top linebacker in 2018 and was also first-team All-America and a two-time first-team All-SEC selection.

“He’s a guy that’s determined,” Texas A&M running back Trayvon Williams said. “He’s a natural-born athlete and he’s going to have a long career in the NFL.”

An example of White’s want-to/determination level was provided by LSU safety John Battle.

“Go back to the summer and we’re doing workouts and he ran with our defensive backs and skill groups,” Battle said. “He always tried to push himself to be the best he could be and win. And he was winning.”

The straight-ahead speed explosiveness was showcased at the Combine. White’s 40 time was best among the linebackers and his 39 1/2-inch vertical jump was second to Michigan’s Devin Bush (40 1/2 inches).

“He’s one of the fastest guys on the field, I don’t care who else is out there,” Battle said. “He’s going from sideline-to-sideline. By the time you snap the ball, he’s shooting a gap and is in your backfield. He was a nightmare for SEC offenses and he’s going to be a nightmare for NFL offenses.”

If White goes in the top 10, he will join a small fraternity. In the last decade, only Oakland’s Rolando McClain (eighth in 2010), Carolina’s (ninth overall in 2012) and the Bears’ Smith (eighth last year) were inside linebackers chosen in the top 10.

“There’s a chance he’ll be around (at 10) and even later,” NFL Network analyst Charles Davis said. “Middle linebacker is almost like running back — I hate the term ‘devalued’ but I don’t think they go quite as high unless there is a screaming need.”

The Broncos may believe they have a screaming need.

Ready to cover? Notes from watching White in LSU’s wins at Auburn and vs. Georgia.

Auburn (eight tackles): Earned a “factor” credit on 13 of his 61 snaps, meaning he made the tackle or disrupted the play. … On the opening play, he easily shed a second-level tight end block to make the tackle. … Blitzed on eight of quarterback Jarrett Stidham’s drop-backs. On his final two blitzes, he drew holding penalties on Auburn. … Missed one tackle. … Showed great athleticism and balance to dodge blocks or angle his way past bigger men to make stops. … Was not involved in any man coverage situations. … Lined up off-the-ball on every snap except one.

“You have to know where Devin White is on every snap,” Stidham said at the Scouting Combine. “He’s everywhere. It didn’t matter, he was always going to be around the football.”

Georgia (13 tackles): Earned a “factor” credit on 15 of his 64 snaps. … Blitzed on 14 of quarterback Jake Fromm’s drop-backs, including several delayed rushes. … Lined up on-the-ball as an outside linebacker on three plays. … Missed two tackles and one sack. … In man coverage, allowed a long completion when he lost track of the tight end’s wheel route. … Blitzed on three of the first four plays. … Georgia opted to run right at White to negate his speed instead of challenging him on the perimeter.

“He’s an incredible player,” Georgia coach said leading into the game. “An elite player, arguably one of the best in the conference at all positions.”

Missing in the Auburn and Georgia games was White tracking players in man-to-man pass coverage. In the Tigers’ scheme, he was used as a drop player in zone coverage and would occasionally buzz to the flat to account for a running back.

But …

“I’m a guy who can play inside or we’re having trouble with a tight end, you can stick Devin White on him and he’ll go stop him,” White said.

If he joins the Broncos, he will likely get that chance.

“(Fangio) puts so much emphasis on guys with instincts and having a feel for the game,” NFL Network analyst said. “I could see Devin being a home run for the Broncos.”

Sacco Sez: When the Broncos drafted By Jim Saccomano DenverBroncos.com April 7, 2019

Virtually every fan knows that Hall of Fame running back Floyd Little established himself as an all-time great in his nine-year career here in Denver, but they all might not be aware of the football climate when he joined us as our first-round draft choice in 1967.

There were two professional football drafts from 1960 through 1966: the draft and the League draft.

As a wretched and almost moribund franchise, the Broncos were never able to sign one of their first- round draft choices in that seven-year span. Instead, those players chose to sign with the NFL clubs that had selected them.

But when the two leagues merged, those two drafts became one, and there was virtual certainly that each team would now sign its first-round draft choice, including the Broncos.

The Broncos began to see their fortune change at the start of 1967 when owner Gerry Phipps signed no- nonsense Lou Saban to a 10-year contract as general manager and head coach, signaling to the pro- football world that Denver was serious about improving.

Saban loved defense and the running game, so it was certain he would draft to be the best in one of these areas.

Floyd Little had just completed his magnificent college career at Syracuse, and most modern-era fans have no idea of his greatness level.

Freshmen could not play in those days, so a player had just three varsity seasons of eligibility, and Little had been a consensus first-team three-year All-American at halfback.

To put that into perspective, that has happened exactly twice in history. Southern Methodist University's is the only other player to accomplish the feat.

As it happens, the Broncos' scouting reports just prior to Saban's hire were put together with Walker as Denver's chief personnel man. Yes, the first consensus three-time All-American halfback was charged with scouting the second, although it did not require much projection to recognize Little's talent.

This was a player who had been personally recruited to West Point by General Douglas MacArthur and had Notre Dame hot after him as well. Little, though, went to Syracuse because he had given his word to former Orangemen great prior to the death of Davis.

So it was not a great surprise when Saban used the Broncos' first pick on Floyd Little, and I have spoken many times to the East Coast native about his recollection of being drafted by Denver.

"I was not happy," Floyd told me.

"When Denver drafted me I was like, 'Where the hell is Denver?'"

"I could not believe it when I got a call from Lou Saban that they had rafted me to the Denver Broncos. I was like, 'You have got to be kidding me.'"

But opinions changed quickly for the young phenom.

"I could not believe it till I flew out there to meet Lou Saban," Little said. "I was just amazed and fell in love with Denver the first day that I saw it."

And Denver fell in love with him right away.

The first bona fide national superstar in Broncos history, Little was coming to a team and city hungry for success and identity in pro football.

Little would supply the cornerstone for building franchise respect by maintaining a sterling standard of play and a quality of leadership matched very few times since, if at all.

His status on the team and the community was so revered that the five-time all-star was the team's only captain, as selected by his peers, for all nine years of his career.

His standard of excellence on the field was such that any reasonable ranking of all-time Broncos players would place him on the kind of list that can be counted with one's fingers.

Longtime sports columnist Dick Connor of the "Denver Post" and I, back in the days when I was still a radio sports reporter, came up with the nickname "The Franchise," a tribute to Floyd's status on a team that was just beginning to find its way.

Now, the Broncos have a legacy of championships matched by very few NFL teams. But much of that started back in 1967 with the nselection of Floyd Little. The future Hall of Famer elevated the hopes and dreams of the Broncos franchise and its legions of fans.

When he ran with the ball or represented Denver, Floyd Little carried a time zone on his back, and to this day he remains one of the great first-round draft picks in Broncos history.

The Players That Made Me: 's favorite players from a life in football By Ben Swanson DenverBroncos.com April 7, 2019

As a kid, Steve Atwater preferred playing sports to watching them.

During his high school years, he ran track, played baseball and basketball. And, of course, he was pretty good at football.

But every now and then, he'd catch his hometown St. Louis Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) and the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose collection of talent — including , and — made him love the game.

Eventually, Atwater's life would come to revolve around that game, especially as the sport became his career. Whether as a player watching two to three hours of tape per day or as an analyst for DenverBroncos.com and Orange & Blue 760, he's certainly seen his fair share of football.

To get a sense of the player and person he aimed to be and to understand his path to the Ring of Fame and beyond, we asked Steve Atwater to tell us about the players he loved and loves to watch at different stages of his life. Read on for his answers.

Elementary school: 'Mean' Joe Greene “'Mean' Joe Greene. … Franco Harris, Lynn Swann. I remember watching — I think the Steelers were playing the Raiders — Jack Tatum hit the receiver and then Franco Harris caught the ball and then ran in for a touchdown. Man, that was so exciting. The Immaculate Reception. I think that was the reason why I kind of gravitated toward football. And I liked football. That was really after I started playing youth football. I started playing when I was 8 years old. And because I played it, I watched it some on TV and got really into it. …

“There was no cable, there was no DirecTV. It was just that the game was on and if you saw it, you saw it. If not, you just missed it. I remember my dad watching games and me sitting up, looking at the TV with him and watching the game with him some. I don’t recall too many times sitting in front of the TV watching the games. It wasn’t like a set thing that we did, even though I think they did have ‘Monday Night Football’ back then. It just wasn’t something that I regularly did. I wasn’t a big TV guy anyway. I liked being outside, riding our bikes, working on our bikes — if I didn’t have homework to do. …

“I only got the chance to go to one football game, that my mom took me to when I was younger. I think I was in high school when that happened. She knew I really liked football. I was a good football player, so she treated me to that.”

High school: Michael Jordan “When I was in high school, I played basketball too. I liked North Carolina, and if they had recruited me, I would have went there. But they didn’t recruit me. [The allure was] Michael Jordan. He was a great basketball player, and I loved the blue and white colors that they wore back then. L.T. [] was my man, too. … But yeah, I watched all those big-time games that Michael Jordan played. … I didn’t get recruited by too many schools. I got recruited by Tulsa, Ole Miss, Arkansas and a couple of other schools. …

“I would say when I was in high school, I think I was still somewhat of a Steelers fan, having seen them, and I was a Cardinals fan, too, because I lived in St. Louis. Jim Hart was the quarterback. I remember [Ottis] ‘O.J.’Anderson, a running back with the Cardinals. … He was a big dude, big bruising running back.”

College: “I met Ronnie when I was in college. It was actually after my senior year. I went to the NBA All-Star Game. I think it was in Houston. I saw Ronnie Lott sitting up in the stands, and I went up and went, ‘Man, are you Ronnie Lott?’ He was like, ‘Yeah!’ and he sat down and talked to me for, like, 10 minutes. It was the coolest thing. I’ll never forget that, how he was so nice and so welcoming and took he time to talk to me. I was, like, ‘Wow!’ …

“[I loved] the physicality. I like looking at a screen and you see a person running the ball and then you just see him fly onto the screen like, ‘Whoa!’ That got me fired up. …

“[Also] back when I was in college, I don’t know if my coach got it for me or I bought it, but I got a book: ‘The Assassin’ with Jack Tatum, who was a hard-hitting safety. Just got a chance to see some of his highlights from when he played and read about them. Then I got a chance to meet him one time when we played the Raiders, or a couple of times when we were playing in Oakland.”

In the pros: Dennis Smith “When I got here and got a chance to play with Dennis, [I was] like, ‘Why isn’t Dennis Smith getting all this pub? Because Dennis can do the same things that Ronnie can do!’ …

“I learned from Dennis. I thought I was physical already, but being on the field with Dennis — I remember a play where we were playing the here in Denver [in 1993] — and I was running over to make a tackle and Dennis comes flying by me and POW, he slams into the guy. I’m like, ‘Oh, sh--!’ After that, I was like, ‘I’ve got to go faster. I’m not getting there fast enough.’ …

“I just saw another level of play. He would encourage me. Any questions I had, he would take the time to answer the questions. He would come to me if I was doing something or if I didn’t see something. A lot of times it was like that. I’d be looking at my side and he’d be like, ‘No, no! You’ve got to see what’s happening over here, too!’ Then I finally got to where my vision was much better, because I was seeing more that kind of helped the game slow down for me and made me a smarter player. By expanding that vision, I could see not just my guy, but what’s happening on the other side of the field. …

“I still loved Ronnie and loved watching him play, but I was in the room with [Dennis] and at practice with him and saw how he practiced, saw his demeanor. I was just watching everything like, ‘OK, this is how I’ve got to do it.’ I learned to be a professional from watching him.”

After the NFL: “I’ve always been attracted to defensive players. — a great player. Brian Dawkins — I loved watching him play. And I’ve told him this, too, that when he used to tackle people and then he’d crawl on the ground, that used to always get me fired up. I can’t imagine what it did for his teammates. That extra motivation, seeing the guy who’s such a great player, had so much emotion and be such a great leader, too. …

“Another guy I loved watching play was . He went from to playing safety and played safety just as well as he played cornerback. A guy who diagnosed things quickly and was physical, especially for his size. He’s not a big guy, but he was extremely physical and got the ball out a lot. Tyrone Braxton was like that, too. Tyrone, he made a lot of plays. A lot of people didn’t think Tyrone was a physical guy, but Tyrone would get up in there. He wouldn’t have any fear. But yeah, that is important, being able to diagnose and then respond quickly. …

“I went through a period when I couldn’t watch as much, because when you start having kids and you’ve got their practices and their games, I’m helping coach their teams, I couldn’t watch it as much. And I know some guys who leave the game — I’ve met a lot of guys who have left the game who are upset for some reason, either with the organization or because they didn’t go the way they wanted to go. But I never went through that. I’ve always had a great relationship with the team, and I was really thankful, even when I got released. …

“Not all my kids were Broncos fans coming up, either, because we had moved away. One of my sons was a Miami Dolphins fan, one was a Rams fan because the Rams won the Super Bowl, and we weren’t living here in Denver at the time. I think that had them looking at other teams, especially because you couldn’t get all the games everywhere back then. But we watched football together.”

As an analyst: Emmanuel Sanders “I don’t think you ever watch more football than when you played. … We watched at least two-and-a- half or three hours [of film each day], though.. … As a radio guy, we’ve got to talk about it — not necessarily ‘under the hood’ like a scout would, but scouts, they’ve got to know every player, all the tendencies of the team. We don’t have to go that deep into it. …

“At first, I used to watch it more from just a safety’s perspective. I would look at, ‘All right, what kind of keys [do you have]? [Is] the offensive line giving you any keys? What are the receivers doing? Are they coming off the line of scrimmage hard or are they jogging off the line of scrimmage?’ Because a lot of times when receivers aren’t getting the ball, they’ll jog off the line of scrimmage and if they’re doing that, a safety can make a play off of that. I don’t know if they’re still doing that today, but back in my day I used to read that and take that as a key. …

“But I follow the ball, too. I can enjoy games as well. I’ve kind of gotten out of that. I don’t do that as much anymore. …

“I love watching [Emmanuel Sanders] play. Really, him and Todd Davis are two guys [I like watching]. Von Miller — everybody loves watching Von. But kind of underneath the hood, seeing how Emmanuel practices, his work ethic in between offensive and defensive drills. When the offense is getting a break, he’s catching passes the whole time. And then to see that pay off on the field with his productivity, that’s been real fun for me to watch.

“And Todd Davis for me, as well, I love his motor. He’s full go, full speed and he’s a great leader, too, from what I’ve seen. I’ve seen him play and interact with his teammates. But those two guys are the most inspiring so far. And Chris Harris, too, at the corner position. You see he’s not a big guy — and not a small guy either, but he’s not the biggest guy. He has no fear, he’ll tackle anybody. I saw him line up on Antonio Brown and man, he was up for the challenge.”

Culture change already showing at Broncos team meetings By Ian St. Clair Mile High Report April 7, 2019

Subtlety is sometimes a powerful form of communication.

Earlier this week, we saw that at work with the Denver Broncos. There’s always an interesting dichotomy when teams change from one head coach and coaching staff to a new head coach and his staff. As Jeff Legwold tweeted, fair or not to the former coaches, whenever a new coaching staff arrives, there are routinely discussions of culture change from players.

When Bradley Chubb and Andy Janovich met the media during the first week of offseason workouts, the subtlety was the jackhammer to and his staff.

“First team meeting, we started at 8 a.m,” Chubb told the media. “But guys were there at 7:55 in their seats. I remember a couple of times last year that guys would be rolling in at 7:59. Just a culture change like that. Everybody wants to be better than we were, better than 5-11 and 6-10.”

Added Janovich: “Last year we had guys coming in two seconds before (meetings), and they’re not even seated by the time of the meeting, but they’re there. Now, it’s five minutes early and now we start five minutes early. It’s just extra time to sharpen every tool you have in the classroom. You spend more there than you do on the field and in practice and everything. It’s more of a mental game a lot of time, so just to have extra time (helps).”

On the latest MHR Radio Podcast (iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher), Adam Malnati and I talked about how crucial it is to create those habits now so the Broncos see success later in the season. It’s the attention to detail, even in what seems like trivial workouts or meetings, that changes the culture of a team. What makes it even better is Vic Fangio has carried a consistent message from the day he was hired through today.

The days of “death by inches” are no more (get this cool shirt, BTW).

“Vic is a no-nonsense guy; old school,” Janovich said. “We’re going to work hard. Not saying we didn’t work hard last year, but I think people are excited about the changes. It’s going to be good.”

Sometimes subtlety is a powerful way to deliver a powerful message

Opinion: Football needs another successful league to survive, for the good of the game By Jarrett Bell USA Today April 7, 2019

Last weekend, was defensive coordinator for the Memphis Express, a team that shared the worst record in the Alliance of American Football (AAF) but nonetheless provided its young players with a sliver of hope that they might yet be on the verge of a big break.

Now Thurman, who coached 17 years in the NFL after spending the bulk of his 9-year playing career with the Dallas Cowboys, is back in North Texas playing with his grandson.

When the AAF, the latest wannabe pro football league, suspended operations on Tuesday, Thurman hit the highway for Texas feeling much more sorrow for the players he left behind than for himself. Thurman, he’ll tell you, has already had a full career in football. He knew when he took the job in the start-up league that it was a big risk.

Yet many of the kids who busted their butts for him during the abbreviated inaugural season might have abruptly hit the end of the road.

“There are some players in that league who can play in the NFL,” Thurman told USA TODAY, mindful that a handful have now struck deals with NFL teams. “They can be backups and special teamers, and carve out decent careers in the NFL. They just need to be coached. They need to be developed.”

Thurman’s point comes from experience. He was a long-shot when the Cowboys drafted him in the 11th round in 1978 and he made it – during an era before the salary cap with minimal roster turnovers, when many teams would keep fewer than five rookies. If he didn’t make the NFL, it was Canada or bust.

That’s why the AAF’s collapse hits home.

“I saw the improvement, saw guys get better over the course of the season,” Thurman said.

It’s apparent the AAF’s business footing was shaky. There was the threat of not making payroll in Week 1 until NHL Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon pledged $250 million. Empty stadiums said something about the demand and buzz factor. The idea coming from the league suggesting that in order to survive it needed the NFL Players Association to sign off on allowing players on NFL practice squads to play in the AAF was essentially a Hail Mary. Really? It’s not like practice-squad players at the bottom of NFL rosters, many in the same talent range as the AAF players, are major gate attractions or TV draws.

Yet the concept of developing players for the NFL – which has long had a farm system with college football – still has legs.

Consider how NFL rosters are constructed these days. Players in the bottom third of the 53-man squad typically don’t last for more than two years. All that shuffling, with links to salary-cap management, has wiped out much of the middle class as we once knew it.

That’s why NFL personnel types had a eye on the AAF as another potential pipeline. As one GM put it to me during the NFL’s combine recently, there wasn’t a need to send scouts – but somebody would surely watch the video tape.

If one of these start-up leagues can survive it won’t threaten the behemoth that is the NFL. It would ultimately help the quality of the NFL product which has diminished before our very eyes in recent years. It would also buy some time and opportunity for players who for years have been sacrificing their bodies while playing for free to better prepare themselves for another chance to chase a dream.

It is what football (uh, the NFL) needs beyond the college game, a place to groom , O- linemen and then some, just like the NBA, NHL and MLB have their developmental leagues.

You’re up next, XFL.

Like the AAF, the XFL revived by WWE power broker Vince McMahon will try to succeed in the calendar space that follows the Super Bowl as it launches in February 2020. History is not on the XFL’s side when considering the graveyard of failed football ventures.

There was the World League (‘70s era), the USFL (Donald Trump’s attempt), the World League of American Football (, alum-made-good), the XFL (original version, with Rod Smart better known by the tag on the back of his uniform, “He Hate Me”), NFL Europa and the UFL.

Promising a faster, “reimagined” brand of football, the XFL will try to survive in the spring, when March Madness rules and the Major League Baseball season tees up. Good luck with that.

With the XFL reportedly looking to pay elite players more than $200,000 per season (the AAF’s pay was $75,000; the NFL minimum is $480,000), it will still have the form of a developmental league. As the NFL’s previous attempts at developmental leagues proved, it’s a bit much to expect players who played in the spring to be in peak condition to compete in NFL summer camps.

Don Yee thinks he has an answer for that. Yee, better known as ’s agent, is founder of the Pacific Pro Football (PPF) league due to launch in the summer of 2020. The PPF, with four teams all based in Southern , will build its player population with those who are not yet eligible for the NFL (which mandates that a player must be three years out of high school). That means 18 to 21-year- olds who or may not have played on the college level.

“We’re designing a professional finishing school,” Yee told USA TODAY.

The PPF’s concept is to train and acclimate players to a pro football culture. Yee, who has long advocated for pay for NCAA players, if not an alternative, insists that the players will be elite talents.

“Think of the Senior Bowl for eight weeks,” said Yee.

If his league existed at the time, Yee said it would have pursued Aaron Rodgers and when they were top junior-college quarterbacks on the verge of transferring to D-I schools.

Yee, whose league will schedule games in a window between the NBA Finals and Labor Day, called it “sad news” that the AAF couldn’t complete its first season. Yet like Thurman, Yee sees a need for the avenues of development.

“We’re rooting for the XFL to succeed,” Yee said. “We will be very complementary to their efforts. (Like the NFL), they will also be a potential destination for our players.”

The AAF players were kicked to the curb in a flash, with some of the worst reports from the week including players having their belongings removed from hotel rooms – within hours of the AAF’s grave announcement – that were supposed paid for by the league. They had to buy plane tickets home. One player who gave his personal credit card to a hotel to handle incidentals, was charged more than $2,000 for the actual lodging, too. Just shabby.

“Hearing all of this stuff,” Thurman said, “it was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ “

Unfortunately, it was another reality check. Maybe next time, a developmental pipeline for football player won’t turn out as a huge joke.

Which Teams Could Surprise and Take a QB in the NFL Draft? By Kalyn Kahler MMQB April 7, 2019

In 2017, Chicago shocked the NFL by trading up to draft QB with the second overall pick, just weeks after the team signed QB to a three-year, $45 million deal with a guaranteed $18.5 million over three years in free agency. Last year there weren’t any unexpected quarterback moves made in the first round, but this year could be different.

After the musical chairs of free agency ended, there are still many teams in need of quarterbacks—but not immediately. The Giants need to draft ’s heir sooner rather than later. Tennessee and Tampa Bay both have quarterbacks on expiring deals. Miami, Washington (because Alex Smith’s future is uncertain) and Denver all have bridge quarterbacks, but are searching for a franchise quarterback.

One scout I spoke to said there will be one or two first-round-caliber quarterbacks still available in the second half of the first round, which opens up the quarterback possibilities to teams picking outside of the top ten in this draft. I polled several scouts and agents around the NFL to find out which teams they think may surprise draft a quarterback. Here’s the list of teams (in alphabetical order) that came up most often:

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals drafting a quarterback wouldn’t be much of a surprise after team owner Mike Brown said at the NFL owners meeting that he would not consider extending quarterback ’s contract (which runs through 2020) before this season. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Brown said, “I think it's a good year for [Dalton] to show like he can, like we think he will. After he re-establishes himself we would want to get together with him and see if we can extend it. I think Andy is a good player and that he will rebound off last year. He was hurt. We lost so many other pieces. It fell apart, but if he's healthy and we stay healthy enough, I have confidence in him.”

The Bengals have the No. 11 pick, which is in the range to get a top QB. Cincinnati’s first-year head coach Zac Taylor came up in the league as a quarterbacks coach, so he may have his eye on a rookie who he can mold in his own image. Taylor has expressed support for Dalton, but the Bengals came up most often in this poll, so they are a team to keep an eye on.

Detroit Lions

One scout posed the question—can the team really win it all with ? The Lions haven’t won a playoff game since 1991, and while the roster is weak in many areas, it’s natural to question how much falls on Stafford. But also consider that the team wasn’t willing to trade Stafford to the Dolphins before last season for a first-round pick and more. Detroit’s roster has a lot of holes, and the Lions could pull in a decent haul of picks for their No. 8 pick if they put out some feelers to trade back—watch for them to trade down with a team desperate to get into the top ten.

The Patriots’ roster has many holes—left tackle, tight end and defensive end are more pressing needs— but it’s not out of the question for New England to possibly draft a quarterback if the right player is still there at the No. 32. More likely, the Patriots will use a late-round pick on a quarterback, someone like North Dakota State’s Easton Stick, who led North Dakota State to three FCS titles, or Boise State’s , who I’ve heard has a few teams interested in him.

Oakland Raiders

One scout originally mentioned Oakland, and then took it back, saying coach Jon Gruden won’t take a quarterback because he hates young quarterbacks. This is a good point about Gruden, but I still think there’s a real chance Gruden’s desire to remake a team in his own image will outweigh his dislike of inexperienced quarterbacks. As reported, the Raiders are doing their work on the top quarterbacks in this draft, hosting Dwayne Haskins and Kyler Murray for workouts. And the Oakland staff has already spent a significant amount of time with Missouri quarterback while coaching him at the Senior Bowl.

Seattle Seahawks

Even with on the roster, Seattle keeps tabs on the draft’s quarterbacks. This year the team interviewed Kyler Murray at the scouting combine. Last year general manager John Schneider attended Josh Allen’s pro day at Wyoming, and two years ago, the Seahawks were very interested in Patrick Mahomes.

Seattle is currently in negotiations with Wilson’s camp to extend his contract—the QB gave the Seahawks a self-imposed deadline of April 15, not wanting to extend negotiations into the beginning of the offseason program. But Breer reported that Wilson will still be at the workouts whether or not he has a deal. However if there’s a quarterback whom Seattle likes still available in the second half of the first round, the Seahawks may go in that direction.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

New head coach Bruce Arians has spoken out with his support of , but the 25-year old quarterback is entering the final year of his five-year contract. Winston has struggled on the field with inconsistency and turnovers, and his record off the field is equally spotty, which makes it easy to see Tampa Bay picking a quarterback if there’s a guy they like in this draft. Will Winston take a real step forward in 2019? It may be easier for the Bucs to just move on without him. The Bucs pick fifth overall, which puts them in a good position to get a quarterback.

OTHER NEWS The pro day circuit has officially concluded, and now we enter the phase of the pre-draft process where most teams will hold local pro days at their facilities. Prospects who played at colleges near the NFL team are invited to work out. These are helpful because the team does not have to use one of their 30 allotted visits on these local prospects and can use that visit on a prospect who is not in the area.

Rich McKay: If we’re going to replay judgment calls, let’s start with biggest one By Josh Alper Pro Football Talk April 7, 2019

NFL teams voted 31-1 in favor of a one-year trial expansion of replay to include challenges for pass interference penalties whether they were called on the field or if coaches think they should have been called.

That change came after the end of last year’s NFC Championship Game spurred calls for the league to have a mechanism in place to address a blatant missed call. There was much discussion about how to do that and Falcons CEO/Competition Committee chairman Rich McKay said on SiriusXM NFL Radio that the league’s coaches wanted to go further, but he thinks that pass interference is an appropriate way to start looking at expanded replay for judgment calls on the field.

“We spent a lot of time on replay,” McKay said. “We came to the conclusion that the place to start, if you’re going to get into the business of judgment calls, meaning penalties and replay, let’s start with the biggest play there is. Because that’s what the purpose of replay is. It’s to deal with big plays. It’s not to just try to get every call right or we’d be there all day. So we thought OPI, DPI, meaning offensive pass interference and defensive pass interference was the place to start. But to get to 24 votes, that is never easy. So that took us a couple days.”

Since the league voted to adopt the change, discussion has shifted to what the game will look like with the new rule implemented and that conversation will continue through the 2019 season. Should it prove to be a net positive for the game, there will likely be even more of a push to include replay reviews for other penalties at next year’s league meetings.

Nick Saban: “Difficult consequences” for players who go pro too early By Josh Alper Pro Football Talk April 7, 2019

Alabama head coach Nick Saban has benefitted a lot from players who use his school as a springboard to professional careers, but he thinks some of them are opting to enter the NFL too early.

Saban said on Saturday that “a significant amount” of players from Alabama and other schools “are not making good business decisions” when it comes to going pro. He said players who wind up as mid- or late-round picks should remain in school in order to go earlier in the next year’s draft.

“When people make emotional decisions, they’re going to have to suffer some really difficult consequences for themselves in the future,” Saban said, via ESPN.com. “Because you don’t have to go out for the draft early. You can come back and play. We’ve had six or seven guys here that had second- or third-round grades that became top-15 and first-round draft picks and made a significant amount of money doing that, so there’s some really good examples of guys that did it that way.”

Saban noted an unnamed player who left Alabama last year and became a starting safety after going in the third round, which Saban says “is not that great” from a financial perspective. Jaguars safety Ronnie Harrison is the only one who fits that description and, as Saban notes, he’s locked into his deal for two more years regardless of how well he plays.

What Saban doesn’t note is that third-round money is a lot more than Harrison and other college players are permitted to make by the NCAA. If he and other players were able to profit off their name and likeness, perhaps there would be more willingness to remain in college despite the risk of injury that would threaten to make them an even lower pick if they stayed for another year.

Both arguments have validity, although the growing number of underclassmen in the draft — 106 last year, 103 this year — suggest the ones for staying in school could use some help.