XFL Thread

[Zeek 16,649]

The draft starts at 9:00 AM CST! A very different format and QBs have already been predetermined. My team, the Tampa Bay Vipers, has Aaron Murray unfortunately lol.

 

[Zeek 16,649]

Sammie Coates drafted to the Houston Roughnecks

Cameron Artis-Payne drafted to the Dallas Renegades 

[Zeek 16,649]

T Darius James drafted to Dallas Renegades

Here are Auburn players still eligible and declared for this draft:

Ryan Davis WR

Avery Young OG

Austin Golson OC

Davonte Lambert DT

Andrew Williams DT

Deshaun Davis LB

Kris Frost LB

Darrell Williams LB

Tre Williams LB

Chris Davis CB

John Franklin III CB

Trovon Reed CB

Ryan White CB

Stephen Roberts SAF

Robenson Therezie SAF

I guess they're using SAF as safety?

There is a lot of great Auburn talent on defense to pick from.

[Zeek 16,649]

35 minutes ago, Zeek said:

T Darius James drafted to Dallas Renegades

Here are Auburn players still eligible and declared for this draft:

Ryan Davis WR

Avery Young OG

Austin Golson OC

Davonte Lambert DT

Andrew Williams DT

Deshaun Davis LB

Kris Frost LB

Darrell Williams LB

Tre Williams LB

Chris Davis CB

John Franklin III CB

Trovon Reed CB

Ryan White CB

Stephen Roberts SAF

Robenson Therezie SAF

I guess they're using SAF as safety?

There is a lot of great Auburn talent on defense to pick from.

The "OL" round of their draft is over so I don't think Golson or Young will make it (unless there is supplemental picks later on that I'm unaware of).

Next round is "front 7" so DL and LBs. I think it's odd they'll only take 10 players each in that round considering usually you would want at least 8 DL if you're running a 4-3 or 8 linebackers in a 3-4. It'll be tough managing some of these rosters and it's so odd to me to have 71 players. I wonder why that specific number. My OCD self would set it at 75 for a nice number.

[jared52 4,354]

1 hour ago, Zeek said:

The "OL" round of their draft is over so I don't think Golson or Young will make it (unless there is supplemental picks later on that I'm unaware of).

Next round is "front 7" so DL and LBs. I think it's odd they'll only take 10 players each in that round considering usually you would want at least 8 DL if you're running a 4-3 or 8 linebackers in a 3-4. It'll be tough managing some of these rosters and it's so odd to me to have 71 players. I wonder why that specific number. My OCD self would set it at 75 for a nice number.

The last phase is an "open draft" so presumably they could be drafted during that phase.

[Zeek 16,649]

LB Tre Williams to Los Angeles Wildcats. Kind of a shame more of our D guys haven’t come off the board. Some teams are really missing out.

[AUBwins 10,075]

9 hours ago, Zeek said:

Sammie Coates drafted to the Houston Roughnecks

Cameron Artis-Payne drafted to the Dallas Renegades 

CAP is going to show out. 

[Zeek 16,649]

John Franklin III - Dallas

Robenson Therezie - Tampa

Trovon Reed and Ryan White - St Louis

Chris Davis - Seattle

 

[autigeremt 6,599]

Darius James to Dallas

[Paladin 3,305]

 

Quote

XFL Week 1 Power Rankings: DC Defenders, Dallas Renegades open 2020 season as favorites

by Cody Benjamin

The NFL season might be over, but the XFL season is just getting started.

Vince McMahon's revived football league, back for the first time since its short-lived debut in 2001, kicks off this weekend with four different matchups and all eight of the XFL's new franchises in action.

If you're looking for more background on the XFL and what it'll be like, CBS Sports' Ben Kercheval dove into all of the league's key components in our official 2020 XFL Viewer's Guide.

Once you're locked and loaded for the XFL season, however, you might still be wondering which team you should be pulling for. Or, better yet, which teams are going to be good and which teams, well, aren't.

Well guess what? We've got XFL Power Rankings!

Having literally never seen any of the XFL's eight teams play a football game, you might think we're ridiculously unqualified to tell you who's capable of contending for a title come April 26, the date of the 2020 championship. But if you've ever read any sort of power rankings before, you should know by now that even the biggest of experts have no clue what's going to happen from week to week. So in that sense, we're probably more qualified than most! Think of it like a March Madness bracket; you and your sports-nut buddies can obsess all over your picks, but you know darn well it's the guy in the corner of the office who never watches basketball that's going to luck his way into the prize.

At any rate, this is the space where we'll navigate the 2020 XFL season together, and rest assured that as the weeks unfold, we'll be keeping you up to date with who's hot and who's not. For now, in preparation of this weekend's kickoff, here's your not-so-stone-cold-lock of a Week 1 pecking order:

1. DC Defenders

OK, so all that talk about not knowing who's going to be good and who's not? Forget it. Wipe it from your memory banks. Consider it hogwash. At least regarding DC. If the Defenders aren't vying for the championship in April, I promise you I'll only eat two boxes of Girl Scout Thin Mints instead of three during that month. Firstly, their uniform is the cleanest of the crop. Call it boring if you want, but those are the crisp red and whites I want my team rocking for the title game. More importantly, they've got incredibly underrated talent that should thrive at the XFL level: Cardale Jones at quarterback, Eli Rogers at receiver and three legitimate NFL-caliber defensive backs in Matt Elam, Shamarko Thomas and Rahim Moore.

2. Dallas Renegades

Riding high on Dallas football teams is usually a recipe for disaster, but this is different, mainly because they could've called this team the Oklahoma Renegades and gotten away with it. Bob Stoops and Landry Jones? That combo alone gives them such a level-up on experience -- at the game's two most important spots, head coach and QB. They've also got Daryl Johnston pulling the strings in the personnel department, so they'll have some draw for any potential big-name acquisitions. Oh, and their unis are just as, if not more, sleek than DC's getup.

3. Los Angeles Wildcats

Their offensive skill positions don't pop off the page, but they've been diligent about keeping Josh Johnson, the longtime NFL backup, atop their QB depth chart, going so far as to block the Detroit Lions from re-signing him during the 2019 season. His experience is a big plus. Even bigger: They've got a proven defensive mind running their sidelines in Winston Moss, with some really underrated pieces for his side of the ball -- ex-Lions pass rusher Devin Taylor, former Baylor giant Shawn Oakman and former Philadelphia Eagles safety Jerome Couplin among them. Nick Novak is a sneakily solid guy to round out the special teams unit, too.

4. Tampa Bay Vipers

The oddsmakers love them entering this season, but the season-ending injury to former Cleveland Browns speedster Antonio Callaway, just recently added to Marc Trestman's offense, will hurt more than they realize. Aaron Murray is a familiar and intriguing face at QB, but where is his supporting cast? Ex-UCF athlete Quinton Flowers and former NFL backup WR Tanner McEvoy are potential role players, and Trestman's got a nice non-NFL track record, but they don't necessarily seem like world-beaters. They also deserve to be punished for replicating Oregon's uniforms. 

5. New York Guardians

They've got a two-time Super Bowl champion for a head coach in Kevin Gilbride, so that counts for something. Their QB room is also one of the most underrated in the league, with former AAF phenom Luis Perez joining Matt McGloin via a trade with Los Angeles. They're going to need a bunch of young guys to make a name for themselves if they want to make any noise, though.

6. St. Louis BattleHawks

Coach Jonathan Hayes, formerly the longtime tight ends coach for the Cincinnati Bengals, has never overseen a staff before, but he's actually got a solid crop of core, developmental pieces at some key spots -- former Minnesota Vikings reserve Taylor Heinicke at QB, ex-Washington Redskins starter Matt Jones at running back, 6-foot-6 NFL prospect Carlton Agudosi at WR, former Florida and NFL standout Will Hill at safety. They might stumble their way to a surprisingly decent record.

7. Houston Roughnecks

June Jones brings some offensive promise to the team at head coach, but let's be honest: It probably would've been better -- or at least more explosive, for better or worse -- had Jones actually reunited with Johnny Manziel here. QB Connor Cook and WR Sammie Coates are "big" names, but they're about all the Roughnecks have in the way of proven playmakers going into the year.

8. Seattle Dragons

It'd be great if we could hype up Jim Zorn's return to Seattle, but that would require being excited about the roster at his disposal. Brandon Silvers flashed a bit in the AAF, but regardless of whether he or B.J. Daniels takes most of the reps at QB, these Dragons are going to have a hard time breathing fire.

 

[Zeek 16,649]

This Seattle and DC game is fun. Would love some more scoring but it ain’t half bad. Honestly, let’s cut the quarters down to 10:00 instead of 15:00.

[sevenlee36 1,654]

PJ Walker looking good for the Roughnecks. So far the league has been a success but it’s still early.

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

On 2/8/2020 at 2:46 PM, Zeek said:

This Seattle and DC game is fun. Would love some more scoring but it ain’t half bad. Honestly, let’s cut the quarters down to 10:00 instead of 15:00.

I actually had a similar thought.  Go to 12:00 quarters since that's what they play in high school.  Would cut game time to 2 1/2 hours easily.

[Zeek 16,649]

38 minutes ago, Brad_ATX said:

I actually had a similar thought.  Go to 12:00 quarters since that's what they play in high school.  Would cut game time to 2 1/2 hours easily.

That's what I'm saying! I enjoy it but getting more free time on the weekend after its over would make easier negotiations with the Mrs.

[jared52 4,354]

CAP having a day for Dallas. He’s got 2 TDs and a 1-point conversion. 

[around4ever 4,139]

99 yards, most in the 2nd half.  Good game for him.  I would love to see him work his way back into the NFL. 

[AUBwins 10,075]

PAYNE 🔥@ThaRealKillaCam with another BIG TIME run for the @XFLRenegades pic.twitter.com/TJhUdTJBJY

— XFL on FOX (@XFLonFOX) February 23, 2020

Our boy CAP lighting it up in XFL. Dude should be in NFL as a starter somewhere.

[Paladin 3,305]

Trovon Reed goes from Battlehawks to Vipers to Battlehawks

Today 10:07 AM

By Mark Inabinett | minabinett@al.com

Cornerback Trovon Reed was a member of the Tampa Bay Vipers for one day. Now he’s back with the St. Louis Battlehawks via an XFL trade.

The Battlehawks selected the former Auburn standout in the XFL Draft in October. But Reed has not played for St. Louis after opening the season on injured reserve because of an ankle ailment.

Waived by the Battlehawks this week, Reed was claimed by the Vipers on Thursday. On Friday, Tampa Bay traded Reed back to St. Louis in exchange for defensive tackle Kellen Soulek.

The Battlehawks host the Seattle Dragons at 4 p.m. CST Saturday on the fourth weekend of the XFL’s season. FOX will televise the game.

The St. Louis injury report lists Reed as questionable to Saturday’s game, along with offensive tackle Matt McCants (Williamson, UAB) and cornerback Marquez White (Northview-Dothan), who are dealing with knee and ankle injuries, respectively.

Reed started his pro football career by signing with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted rookie in 2015. He's also been on the rosters of the St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins, San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers.

Although he's been a member of the practice squads of the Dolphins, Chargers, Seahawks and 49ers, Reed's only NFL regular-season action came with San Diego in 2016. Reed played in the final six games of that season and recorded two interceptions and 12 tackles.

Reed most recently was on an NFL roster in 2018, when he went to training camp with Seattle. In 2019, Reed played for the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football.

On the rest of the XFL’s schedule this weekend, the Los Angeles Wildcats visit the New York Guardians at 1 p.m. Saturday on ABC, the Houston Roughnecks visit the Dallas Renegades at 3 p.m. Sunday on Fox Sports 1 and the DC Defenders visit the Vipers at 6 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2.

[Paladin 3,305]

 

[Paladin 3,305]

Quote

Trovon Reed on XFL debut: ‘I just don’t know what quit is’

Posted Mar 09, 2020

By Mark Inabinett | minabinett@al.com

After an ankle ailment kept him off the field for the first four games of the season, Auburn alumnus Trovon Reed made his XFL debut on Sunday with the St. Louis Battlehawks.

The opportunity to play football again wasn’t something Reed took for granted, as he shared via his Instagram account on Monday. The cornerback said he cried while warming up for the game against the DC Defenders.

Reed started his pro football career as a tryout player at the Seattle Seahawks’ rookie minicamp in 2015. He didn’t stick there but was able to go to his first NFL training camp with the St. Louis Rams that year.

That started an NFL odyssey during which he’s been cut nine times. Reed has been on the rosters of the Rams, Seahawks, Miami Dolphins, San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers and a member of the practice squads of the Dolphins, Chargers, Seahawks and 49ers.

Reed's only NFL regular-season action came with San Diego in 2016. Reed played in the final six games of that season and recorded two interceptions and 12 tackles.

Reed most recently was on an NFL roster in 2018, when he went to training camp with Seattle. In 2019, Reed played for the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football.

“Listen, I’ll be a Battlehawk till I’m 40,” Reed said. “I ain’t lying. I just love the game. I got offered so many coaching jobs. I feel like I got a mission. I want to win another championship, and if it’s here, if it’s a Super Bowl, whatever it is, I want to go out on top.”

Reed spent most of his Auburn career playing wide receiver. He didn't switch to cornerback until his senior season.

Reed played in one game for Auburn’s 2010 BCS national-championship team, gaining 8 yards on two rushing attempts in a 27-24 victory over Clemson in the third game of the season.

Over the next three seasons, Reed caught 39 passes for 384 yards and one touchdown, including nine for 98 yards for the Tigers’ BCS runner-up in 2013, before playing cornerback in 2014.

Reed made four tackles in St. Louis’ 15-6 loss to the Defenders on Sunday.

 

[Paladin 3,305]

 

[AUBwins 10,075]

That's actually a bit sad.  Vince had this version of XFL on the right track.  This time circumstances beyond his control killed it.