1976 Draft, Round 1

Jerry Roux, RB, Charlotte Hornets

You can find the (big G) Gamblers in Houston but you don't have to look far to find more (little G) gamblers in the USFL/WFL.

Plenty of coaches were willing to roll the dice during Wednesday's first round of the 1976 draft. Eleven players with volatility of 75 or higher went in the first round. The Birmingham Stallions put down all of their chips on former Washington Huskies wide receiver Timothy Wilson (100 VOL).

By the time Birmingham picked, however, five other players with 75-plus VOL had been taken.

We may all Roux the day we didn't pick former Pitt RB Jerry Roux, who went to the Charlotte Hornets with the second overall selection. Roux could be the next Tony Dorsett: 93 speed and potentials of 100 in almost every other category--including pass-catching and route-running.

Rodney Preston, CB, NY Stars

It isn't every year you see a center go as high as the No. 3 overall pick, but the Southern California Sun loved Tennessee's Rudolph Guerrero (76 VOL) that much. Guerrero has 100 strength and potentials of 100 in both run and pass blocking.

The New York Stars went conservative with both of their first-rounders, taking UCLA cornerback Rodney Preston (8 VOL) with the No. 1 selection and Alabama LDE Howard Zacharias (18) at No. 8. Preston has "only" 89 speed, but 100 potentials in man-to-man, zone and bump-and-run coverages.

Cory Vargas, FS, Houston Gamblers

Houston also had two first-round picks and didn't gamble all that much with two solid picks in FS Cory Vargas of Texas A&M and Florida State WLB Roderick Carver. The New Orleans VooDoo (RDE Juan Bennett, SS Troy Tomas) and the Los Angeles Express (LG Jose Sherlock, CB Paul Moore) and the Tampa Bay Bandits also had a pair of picks in the first round.

Philadelphia QB Roy Rhyne is my sleeper pick. Rhyne went to tiny Knox College before being taken by the Bell with the seventh pick. He has potentials of 100 in pass accuracy, intelligence, arm strength, and release.

The draft continues Thursday with the second round. The Cleveland Thunderbolts, Houston Gamblers, Memphis Showboats and New York Stars all have two picks in the second round.

The third and fourth rounds are Friday, and rounds 5-7 are Saturday.

Welcome, New Coaches

We have had several new coaches join the league since the end of last season. Please welcome them and give them any aid they might ask for.

Los Angeles Express: mwd65
Oklahoma Outlaws: awest827
Memphis Showboats: oberyn
Cleveland Thunderbolts: jabillups85
Georgia Force: dangitdarnit
New Orleans VooDoo: greyghost1225

The USFL/WFL still has 21 of the 32 original coaches as it enters its third season.