Gruden Jumps Ship

Destroyers nee Tuskers coach Jay Gruden has made the leap to the NFL by signing with the Cincinnati Bengals as their OC, and UFL fans are reacting to the news as if they just learned they had the flesh-eating virus.
No, I don't mean there's been extensive redness and necrosis of the skin, I mean wailing and gnashing of teeth. It's understandable that there would be some worry given that the Tuskers have folded and that the league seems to be having trouble getting the sixth franchise settled, but I feel like any bad news lately starts a domino effect of freakouts among the fans.

It's the offseason. There will be some upheaval. Coaches and players leave all the time in every league and are picked up elsewhere...or not. The trouble for the UFL right now is that every move is seen as having a direct impact on the health of the league itself. People in Philadelphia might be upset and a little baffled that their offensive line coach is now their defensive coordinator, but none are taking it as a sign that their team will suddenly vanish, or that the NFL is going to curl up and die.

I don't even blame any potential Destroyers fans for worrying. The league is young, and when you only have five teams, the magnitude of each decision seems to carry greater weight with it. But this isn't a bad move for the league because it's not their move. A man was offered a job that will likely pay a great deal more over the next few years, why should he not take it?

This wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for the UFL looking for NFL-quality talent. As it is, unless teams are content to vie for lesser players and coaches, the NFL is going to cannibalize the UFL every year. Pick your poison. You can have candidates that look appetizing to everyone and you'll risk losing them. Or, you can hope that your team looks for guys that aren't capable of playing at a high level and not worry about the league being eaten away at the end of each season.

I watch both the UFL and NFL. I'd rather they both go for the top talent they can find and I don't care which organization I'm watching them in. Moves happen. It's not the end of the world, and it's not necrotizing fasciitis.