In Efforts to Upgrade Talent, UFL Coaches Sell, Sell, Sell

After the Sacramento Mountain Lions were defeated 27-10 to the Hartford Colonials last weekend, the team decided to release eight players, quickly replacing them with new names, including Worrell Williams, who was recently released from the Denver Broncos.

Dennis Green, longtime NFL coach, now coaches the UFL's Mountain Lions. He said it's a team's responsibility to have the most talent on the roster, even if that means making cuts.

"It is always our job to improve our team," Green said. "It really wouldn't be fair to have a guy who really should be playing but isn't playing because there's a guy on the team who isn't nearly as good. Our job is that if we notice a player who is better, then we have a responsibility to get that guy on our team."

Such is life in the UFL, where week-to-week UFL coaches are scrambling to continually upgrade talent.

Others have to play the part of pitchman.

Just ask Jay Gruden, who finds himself living the life of a salesman, cold calls and follow-ups – constantly selling the big picture.

Gruden, the Florida Tuskers head coach, is calling the latest victims off the NFL chopping block, guys whose dreams have just been shattered, offering a path through the United Football League and back into the NFL.

With 85 percent of his roster comprised of former NFL players, Gruden's sales figures are impressive. The most recent example is Joe Clermond, a defensive end who was recently cut by the Chicago Bears and now plays for the Tuskers.

"He was not receptive at first," Gruden said. "A lot of guys at first still think they will get picked up by an NFL team and want to wait."

The pitch is tough, since a player is contractually locked into playing the full season with the UFL even if an NFL team comes calling. Additionally, the standard UFL player contract is $50,000 for the season.

"A lot of the players have to see the big picture," Gruden said. "When they see that this is a great opportunity to show their worth it makes sense."

Convincing a young professional athlete to take a step back from the NFL's glory isn't always an easy process though.

"You have to find a player and then convince the agent and the player that the UFL is the best place to play," said Green.

"If he plays with us then he still has a future. The NFL will not forget about you. The best way for them to know you are still out there is for them to know you are still actively playing pro football."

"A lot of the players have to see the big picture.When they see that this is a great opportunity to show their worth it makes sense."
--Jay Gruden Robert Griffith, player personnel director for the Mountain Lions and a former Minnesota Vikings safety, said the UFL is somewhat caught in the middle.

"Most players want to play in the NFL, so the players who are NFL quality want to wait," Griffith said. "There's this middle where you go, 'OK, an NFL team doesn't want you. You can wait around or you can come play, get some more film and come back afterward.'"

As the NFL overflows with talent, plenty of top-quality players spill over into the UFL, recognizing the league as an opportunity to continue moving in professional football. In other words, this isn't your ordinary scrap heap.

As scouts in the UFL comb through the talented players left off National Football League rosters, it's clear that there are plenty of valuable pieces available.

"An NFL career on average is 3.2 years," Green said. "Opposite of guys like Peyton Manning or Randy Moss are guys who only play one or two years. Those guys are 24 and 25 years old and might never get another chance in the NFL. They have that chance here."

The UFL has plenty of methods in which to draw its talent. They can pick from the recently released NFL players, releases from other UFL teams or former college standouts without professional football experience.

"You try to watch guys play from last year and track them down," said Green, the long-time NFL head coach. "You hope they were in training camp so they are in football playing shape. Then you try to put your team together."

UFL franchises are always looking to upgrade in talent. That means all jobs are on the line from week to week. If players are dropped from an NFL roster and deemed a value to a UFL squad, roster space is cleared to make room for the new player.

Once a player is released from the NFL, he must clear the NFL's 24-hour waiver period. A player then goes through a 24-hour UFL waiver period in which one of the five UFL teams can place a claim on him.

Doug Williams, general manager for the UFL's Virginia franchise that is set to begin play in 2011, said the talent in the UFL is the equivalent of the bottom 20 to 25 guys on an NFL roster.

"That's why this is a quality league," Williams said. "It's not like you're picking up guys on the street. You basically have guys who could very well be on an NFL roster."

As an example, he cited Florida Tuskers quarterback Brooks Bollinger, who threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns in the UFL's opening weekend.

"If you watched Bollinger with the Tuskers, you'd ask, 'Why is this kid not in the NFL?' " Williams said. "You can't tell me he shouldn't be at least a backup quarterback, if not a starter."

Williams, who was the first African-American quarterback to start and also win a Super Bowl, understands the nature of professional football.

He said one of the biggest challenges is dealing with the egos of players who are just coming off being cut by the NFL. Williams believes it's important to be certain that the player wants to be a part of the UFL. The last thing any general manager wants is a bitter personality to spoil team chemistry.

"Naturally, if a guy is cut then you have to talk to him to see if he wants to be on your team," said Williams, who also served as the director of professional scouting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009-10. "You don't want to upset a locker room with guys who do want to be there with a guy who may not want to be there."

Luckily for the UFL, there is plenty of willing talent to go around.

Jimmy Spencer can be reached at jimmypspencer@gmail.com or on Twitter @jimmypspencer