Tag: XFL Draft

The XFL Announces the First Pool of Players in the Draft and It is…Underwhelming

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This is…disappointing. Did I expect Tim Tebow and Colin Kaepernick to carry the XFL flag out of the tunnel?  No, but maybe a couple of names I actually recognized. They couldn’t even get a guy like Trent Richardson after he failed in the AAF? And where’s Johnny Manziel for christs sake? This league was built for him…which I also said about him and the CFL and the AAF….but thats besides the point.

Oh and the great Landry Jones doesn’t count because he already signed with the league and per its rules the XFL will be assigning a QB to each team. Vince McMahon has seen how many NFL teams are complete disasters because they can’t find a QB so he’s trying to micro-manage that problem and nip it in the bud.

Okay, so not a vast and deep pool of talent, but lets see what we got here. If you are a college football nerd then you’re on your own because this list is ranked on dudes I actually recognized and remember watching at some point.

1.) Connor Cook – Easily the biggest name in this entire draft pool. Cook was a pretty damn good QB at Michigan State and was once even looked at as a potential starter in the NFL when the Raiders drafted him in the 4th round in 2016. Hell he even started a playoff game after Derek Carr got injured, but he never really caught on and bounced around the league for a couple years and got released a few times. You may also remember Cook for looking like a total dickhead snatching the Big Ten Championship game MVP trophy from Archie Griffin.

 

2.) Roberto Aguayo – One of the best kickers in NCAA history turned the biggest bust of a kicker in NFL history. Aguayo was a stud at Florida State (most accurate kicker in ACC history and 3rd in NCAA history) before the guy went OFF THE RAILS in dumpster fire fashion playing for the Bucs. So much so that I worry about the guy a little bit, so hopefully he gets back on track in the XFL. The Bucs literally traded up into the 2nd round for Aguayo before he missed a boatload of kicks and was unceremoniously cut.

3.) Devin Lucien – If this name sounds familiar its because he was a 7th round draft pick of the Patriots in 2016 who became a pre-season darling before failing to make the team.

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4.) Sealver Siliga – Another former Patriot! Siliga played 3 seasons for the Patriots making 13 starts with 5.5 sacks and 95 tackles.

5.) Darron Thomas – Thomas played QB at Oregon so thats the one and only reason he caught my eye. Thomas was actually a pretty good QB for the Ducks in the post-Dennis Dixon pre-Marcus Mariota era. Thomas led Oregon to the National Championship game in 2011, which they lost to Cam Newton and Auburn. I remember that game vividly because Mattes and I watched it in a Chilis like the scrubs that we are. You probably unfamiliar with his work because Thomas left Oregon early to enter the NFL Draft and got neither drafted nor signed as a free agent before kicking around the Canadian Football League, Champions Professional Indoor Football League, Arena Football League, Major League Football (which I’ve never even heard of because it never actually played a game), Indoor Football League, and even played for the Worcester Pirates in the National Arena League last year!

6.) HANDSOME Tanielu – What a name. Only reason he made the list.

 

Woo! The XFL Draft is sneaking up and then the inaugural  latest XFL season kicks off in February, 2020. Catch the fever!

The XFL Draft is Going to Be Like a Fantasy Football Draft On Speed

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PFT – The XFL will be making some noise next week, with a two-day draft that will allow the eight teams to fill out 71-man rosters. The draft happens on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 15 and 16.

Quarterbacks won’t be drafted, at least not all of them. One quarterback — presumably a perceived starter — will be “assigned” to each team by the XFL. The draft then will proceed with five phases: (1) skill-position players; (2) offensive linemen; (3) defensive front seven; (4) defensive backs; and (5) open draft, for all positions and specialists. The first four phases will result in teams choosing 10 players each; the last phase will continue until the 71-man rosters are filling.

Teams will have only 90 seconds to make their picks, via video conference with the XFL’s main office in Connecticut.

You know what my biggest complaint about live fantasy football drafts always is? That after the first 2 rounds every pick takes 7 minutes because Steve didn’t do his research. And by Steve, I mean me, because I don’t know who the freaking backup TE is in Jacksonville. Either way those live drafts are fun, but can easily take 4 hours, which is why online drafts are great. Even if you don’t know who you want to pick, tough shit because you’re getting someone. Now the NFL gives each team 10 minutes per pick in the first round and then 4-7 minutes per pick after that. Well the XFL is here to speed things along.

Each team will get a grand total of 90 seconds to make every one of their picks. LIGHTNING ROUND! Whether thats enough to make an intelligent business decision is none of my concern.

Vince McMahon promised change, speed, and entertainment. I don’t know if that necessarily translates into good football, but thats where the AAF failed; they didn’t bring anything new to the table. Sure the XFL made an official announcement that LANDRY JONES joined the league (former Steelers backup QB) as its first player, which probably speaks more to the quality of competition than I care to admit, but hey at least the XFL will be different. If that means I can bang out an entire XFL game in the time it takes to rewatch Happy Gilmore for the 100th time then I’ll check it out. What I’m not doing is devoting 2-3 hours to a subpar product. The XFL is fast food, which is fine. Theres a place in my diet for fast food every once in a while. Just don’t pretend to be something you’re not and I think 90 second draft slots are the first step in that direction.