Sports in general have been halted and this includes the XFL, which was still in its first season. The league has come out and stated that their players can now sign with NFL teams. As we have discussed previously, there is a ton of talent available. It has become very clear that the new Cleveland front office is looking for the biggest bang for its buck and signing players from the XFL for slightly above the minimum appears to be a solid investment. Here are eight players that should be picked up today:
Cam Phillips, WR, Houston Roughnecks, 6-0, 201 pounds
Phillips is only 24 years old and was an absolute stud in the XFL, where he led the league with 31 receptions, 455 receiving yards, nine receiving touchdowns and longest touchdown at 84 yards. Despite receiving all of the focus from opposing defenses, Phillips was the Houston offense as evidenced by his 44 targets.
Phillips went undrafted out of Virginia Tech in 2018 and was with the Buffalo Bills for that season before being cut during the preseason of 2019. He is excellent against press coverage with active hands and thrives on underneath routes, but he failed to last in the NFL due to his soft play. Phillips was atrocious against larger corners or even just more aggressive defensive backs.
The Roughneck clearly got the hint and transformed himself into a physical and aggressive downfield threat. One of the better examples was against the St. Louis Battlehawks, whose corners are all over 5-10, Phillips managed to reach the end-zone three times off of eight receptions and 194 yards.
Donald Parham, TE, Dallas Renegades, 6-8, 243 pounds
Parham can start in the NFL, but whoever snags him has to be patient. He is only 22 years old and checks a ton of boxes. Parham was the driving force behind the Dallas offense and was the second-most targeted receiver in the league with 43 and was second in touchdown receptions with four.
After surprisingly going undrafted in 2019, Parham was snagged by the Detroit Lions and was quickly cut. He landed with the Washington Redskins but was cut early during the season. It is a bit shocking that two NFL franchises have already given up on Parham; he dominated at a small school and everyone knew it would take time for him to adjust, but his size makes him an automatic mismatch.
It is safe to say that Parham likely failed in the league due to his “tweener” status as he will never be a true in-line tight end, but he did show some slight improvement in the blocking department during his XFL stint. Even with his blocking being less than ideal, he has shown that he is a talented receiver with run after catch ability.
Anthony Coyle, G, New York Guardians, 6-5, 297 pounds
Coyle started at guard for New York and was the leader of one of the more dominating units in the league. Despite the constant issues at the quarterback position, the Guardians offensive line always played admirably. Coyle is only 23 years old and looks primed to get another NFL shot.
The interior offensive lineman went undrafted in 2019 out of Fordham and was with the Green Bay Packers for a cup of coffee. Coyle played his entire college career at tackle, but never had the athleticism needed to hang on the outside in the NFL. His first stint in the NFL was likely short due to his inability to make the transition to guard. But now, with professional reps under his belt and a clear emphasis on his anchor strength, Coyle should provide solid depth the second time around.
DeMarquis Gates, OLB, Houston Roughnecks, 6-2, 221 pounds
We talked about Gates last year after the AAF folded and after he dominated for the Memphis Express, I saw him as a fit at inside backer. I have since changed my tune despite Gates being an impactful banger on the inside for Houston with three fumble recoveries and two sacks in the short XFL season, Gates looks like a fit on the outside for Cleveland.
Gates actually got his first shot in Cleveland as an undrafted free agent out of Ole Miss in 2018, but that was short-lived and he turned to Memphis of the Alliance of American Football in 2019. He dominated that league and landed another shot with Washington for the 2019 season, which again was short-lived. The linebacker is extremely active and an absolute dynamo against the run, but he just simply is not big enough for the NFL.
He is still undersized for the typical linebacker role, but he could thrive in nickel packages. Gates is special against the run, but he can hold his own in coverage as well and a creative defensive coordinator should be able to make the 24-year-old a contributor.
Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Tampa Bay Vipers, 6-2, 204 pounds
Another player that I cannot understand how they are not still in the NFL, but I may be a bit bias as I have been a McFadden fan since his early days at Florida State. Still only 23 years old, McFadden was lockdown in coverage in the XFL with three pass deflections and two interceptions already in the short season.
After an extremely decorated college career, McFadden somehow went undrafted in 2018 and has been bouncing around the league since. He has been with the San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, back to San Francisco and the Detroit Lions. McFadden has great size, enough athleticism and ball-hawk ability to make an impact in the NFL, but he has likely never stuck in the league due to his terrible footwork.
McFadden was a man among boys against the XFL competition and really does show flashes of a starting NFL caliber skill-set. It appears that he has refined his technique and is fully healthy, which should force an NFL team to take another shot on the former All-ACC defensive back.
Kenny Robinson, S, St. Louis BattleHawks, 6-4, 204 pounds
The most controversial figure in the XFL, Robinson decided to leave college early and play in the XFL instead of transferring. He might be eligible for the 2020 NFL Draft, but that is unclear. Robinson opened a potential can of worms for future college football players wanting to go pro, but not yet eligible for the NFL.
With all of the hype and hoopla surrounding his addition to the league, Robinson did not disappoint as he snagged two interceptions, two pass deflections and two tackles for loss before the season was halted. Robinson has dominating, eye-popping size with the frame to add even more weight. He is also extremely long, which allows him to be a force in regard to attacking the ball at its highest point.
Hunter Niswander, P, DC Defenders, 6-4, 243 pounds
Niswander has been an absolute boot for DC and has been representing the brand hard with a healthy average of 44.6 yards per punt. Niswander went undrafted in 2018 after a successful career at Northwestern, where he played both kicker and punter. Despite the Browns not having a need for a new specialist, it never hurts bringing in a young camp body to compete. Niswander is only 24 years old.
Austin Walter, RB, Dallas Renegades, 5-6, 194 pounds
Walter is pure speed and looks faster than his pre-draft testing forty yard dash time of 4.49 seconds. He shared a backfield with Cameron Artis-Payne and Lance Dunbar, so unfortunately Walter only received a handful of touches, but the little dude was a baller as a returner and even managed to house a kickoff in week five.
Walter went undrafted out of Rice in 2019 and had a cup of coffee in San Francisco before making the active roster for the New York Giants and then eventually being released. Although he runs harder than his size indicates and catches the ball well out of the backfield, Walter was noted as a bit too slow in training camp for the Niners. I fail to see any lack of speed and feel confident that Walter can at the very least contribute on special teams as a dynamic return man for the Browns.
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