I think the big thing here is the Omaha Nighthawks are still an unknown quantity. As a football rule expansion teams don’t do very well, but Omaha General Manager Rick Mueller as a proven track record of finding the right players to build a strong franchise. It really is a shame the good folks who run the United Football League gave their new exciting team a first week bye. It seems rather than a fourth meeting between the Florida Tuskers and the Las Vegas Locos that this league could have showcased its newest team on their debut weekend.
So let us go back to Mueller’s record. First and foremost this is the guy who helped this league build all four teams in the UFL in year number one. Before that he was a successful scout in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints. In fact we can argue it was Mueller who helped deliver a Super Bowl to that city since as the Director of Player Personnel he went out and got them QB Drew Brees.
For the Nighthawks he has gone out and signed QB Jeff Garcia. Sure he might be 40 years old, but he is a veteran that can help lead this team. Next he locked up RB Ahman Green, another veteran who can help develop the younger talent on the Nighthawks roster. He then added LB Cato June to lead the Nighthawk defense. June brings a Super Bowl ring to Omaha and was the leading tackler on the Colts Super Bowl winning team.
While they may struggle in year one, my bet is down the road the Nighthawks become the team to beat in this league. We won’t know more until they take to the field this coming Friday against the stellar offense of the Hartford Colonials.
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