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| Victor Thomas, MLB, Oakland Invaders |
There is rarely such a thing as a "can't-miss" draft pick, but the Oakland Invaders and Orlando Renegades found a couple of them atop the first round of the 1985 draft.
The Invaders only had to look a few miles down the road to find former California MLB Victor Thomas with the first overall pick in the draft. Thomas has potential of 80-plus at every defensive position except CB—and only 10 volatility. His 84 speed and 6-foot-1, 242-pound frame make him ideal for the pass coverage skills needed for LBs in the current version.
The Renegades weren't with a prospect who is not far behind in former Texas Longhorn MLB Luis Fellows, He also has only 10 volatility and has 80-plus potential at every LB position. His 74 speed and 100-potential coverage skills also make Fellows an ideal coverage LB.
The Invaders, New York Stars, and Portland Storm all made two first-round picks Tuesday.
The riverboat gamblers among us, who went with the highest-volatility picks, proved to be the Florida Blazers (1-3, CB Matthew Samson, 70 VOL), New Orleans VooDoo (1-23, DT Curtis Taylor, 86 VOL), Denver Gold (1-26, RB Patrick Jackson, 94), Baltimore Stars (1-29, WLB Courtney Wright, 70 VOL), and Houston Gamblers (1-32, TE Wesley Hull, 88 VOL).
The draft continues through Friday night.
Free Agency
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| Mario Valencia |
The Invaders signed former Houston Gamblers MLB Roderick Carver to a two-year, $37.2 million pact and also added former New Jersey Generals TE Leroy Selmon. The Outlaws were one of nine teams who bid on former Georgia Force LT Jimmy Rice and also won the bidding for former San Antonio Gunslingers QB Tony Smith, who has thrown 72 interceptions over the last four seasons. The Steamer walked away with former Tampa Bay WR Michael Popa and former Detroit and Houston CB David Peralta.
The biggest name in free agency was Mario Valencia, the QB who led Detroit to back-to-back championship earlier in his career. Valencia will spend his final pro season in Los Angeles, his third time around with the Express.
Two well-known former Generals signed with other teams, LDE Bobby Leopold (Southern California) and SLB Jim LeClair (Houston).
Retirements
Consult your Hall of Fame ballot for more details, but notable retirements included:- RB Patrick Hiebert, OKL
- CB Bradley Martinez, PIT
- CB Mike Williams, NJG
- CB Carlos Turner, LAX
- WR Randy Christmas, BLT
- FS Brent Sylvain, HON
