Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia reveal teams in United Football League

The United Football League teams were announced by Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia

Busy weekend for Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia, honchos of the United Football League.

On Sunday, they made the reveal of the league name.

A day later they were on the “College GameDay” set to announce what teams from the XFL and USFL would combine to form the UFL.

USFL, XFL merge to create United Football League

The XFL and USFL have merged to become the United Football League

The USFL is no more for the second time. The XFL is no more for the third time.

However, there will be a spring league: The United Football League.

The announcement was made by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Dany Garcia on the FOX Sports NFL pregame show.

The first game will be on March 30 of the new league.

The opening game will feature USFL champion Birmingham Stallions against the XFL champion Arlington Renegades.

XFL and USFL announce intent to merge

The XFL and USFL announce plans to merge

If you can’t succeed on your own, why not try and merge?

The XFL, which has already failed twice, and the USFL, which fell apart once decades ago, announced Thursday they are planning to merge.

It looks like the new league will be called the National Spring Football League.

The XFL is run by Dwayne Johnson and Co.

While this is a significant step, there is no guarantee a second league, even in the Spring, will succeed.

It is worth a try, as they say.

XFL, USFL holding significant merger talks

The XFL and USFL are on the verge of merging

Two “other” football leagues are looking to become one.

Axios.com reported Tuesday that the XFL and USFL are in advanced talks to merge. An announcement could come later this week.

Per the report:

The merger would be structured as a merger of equals and would require regulatory approval, one of the sources said. The leagues hope to combine before the 2024 seasons.

  • Fox Corp. owns the USFL, while the XFL is owned by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, his business partner Dany Garcia, and RedBird Capital Partners.
  • Game broadcasts of the combined league are likely to be split between Fox and XFL media partner Disney, according to the source. The USFL also has a broadcast agreement with NBC, although it’s not yet been determined if that will continue.

The XFL is on its third attempt to succeed with the first two failing under WWE boss Vince McMahon.

The USFL had a much stronger run decades ago before failing in part due to a legal flop that included Donald Trump.

The USFL filed an antitrust lawsuit with the NFL and won the case for just $1. The three-year court battle added to the league’s financial woes and the USFL was forced to close operations in 1986.

 

Saints backups Niko Lalos, Jack Heflin benefiting from XFL experience

Saints backup defensive linemen Niko Lalos and Jack Heflin are using the benefits of XFL experience in pursuit of coveted roster spots:

The rejuvenated XFL has sold itself as a spring league where players on the fringe of NFL rosters can hone their craft and develop themselves for future pro opportunities, and it’s tough to argue with the results that New Orleans Saints defensive linemen Niko Lalos and Jack Heflin have found.

Both young players had starring roles in the XFL last season — Lalos with the Seattle Sea Dragons, Heflin on the Houston Roughnecks — and now they’re making compelling cases as the Saints look ahead to roster cuts on Aug. 29. Saints head coach Dennis Allen was very complimentary of the growth he’s seen from Lalos in particular when asked about his progress.

“He’s a guy that’s worked extremely hard, he was on the practice squad last year,” Allen recounted. “He went and played in the XFL this year. I think that was good experience for him to get out there and play. He’s been putting some good stuff on tape. It’s a position that we’re pretty deep at so there’s a lot of competition there. We’ll evaluate where that tape was, but he did do some good things tonight.”

Lalos just bagged 3 sacks and a few other pressures against the Los Angeles Chargers. Heflin has consistently generated pressure in both of their preseason games. Their arrows are trending up. So how can they make the roster?

It’s going to be very difficult for Lalos to unseat anyone at defensive end, but he’s done everything possible to try it. Cameron Jordan, Carl Granderson, Payton Turner, and Isaiah Foskey are locks for the roster, barring an unforeseen injury or trade. Tanoh Kpassagnon signed an extension earlier this offseason. He may have some trade value but it’s not likely any of the top five players will be moved. The Saints typically keep five defensive ends on the active roster and often one of them is a healthy scratch on game days. Lalos needs to make Kpassagnon look expendable. It’s too soon to say whether he’s accomplished that.

What about Heflin? His chief competition is Malcolm Roach, a longtime Saints backup who has steadily developed and climbed the depth chart. Nathan Shepherd, Khalen Saunders, and Bryan Bresee are roster locks. The team rarely keeps more than four of them on the 53-man lineup at a time with another interior lineman or two stashed on the practice squad. Roach has had a productive summer too, so Heflin needs to keep it up while pushing him.

Odds are good that both guys will end up on the practice squad. We tend to overrate players we watch every day and each week compared to others around the league, and all 32 teams have players like Lalos and Heflin they’re hoping to sneak through the waiver wire so they can return to the practice squad. It’s always possible one or both of them gets claimed. At the same time, one or both of them could clear waivers and stay in New Orleans.

But it would be easier if they won roster spots outright. Continuing to fight off competition like Kyle Phillips, Prince Emili, and Jerron Cage while pressuring Roach and Kpassagnon will do a lot of good. Iron sharpens iron, and the Saints have a nice competition brewing at the bottom of their depth chart. Maybe that energy can continue to rise to the top.

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Report: XFL rushing yards leader, former Saints RB Abram Smith is back in the NFL

After leading the XFL in rushing yards, former Saints fan-favorite running back Abram Smith is reportedly back in the NFL — and he could play against New Orleans:

Is this another one who got away? The New Orleans Saints have a worrisome history of developing talented pros who shine their brightest after joining other teams, but that won’t stop many fans from cheering for Abram Smith. The former Baylor Bears linebacker-turned-running back won fans over by running hard in the 2022 preseason, but he couldn’t do enough to earn a spot on the opening-day roster.

Then he went to the XFL and led the startup spring league with 788 rushing yards in the regular season, keeping it going for the DC Defenders’ postseason run. By years’ end, he racked up 925 rushing yards and scored 10 touchdown runs while gaining 124 receiving yards, earning All-XFL recognition. Good for him.

That’s led to a series of tryouts with teams like the Buffalo Bills, Las Vegas Raiders, and Minnesota Vikings — with the Vikings ultimately closing in on him, as first reported by FanSided’s Mike Mitchell and announced by the XFL’s official social media accounts. However, KPRC2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson cautions that while Smith’s workout in Minnesota went well, the Vikings front office “is still determining if they’re signing him. Has not signed or agreed to terms at this point.”

If Smith is signing with the Vikings, there’s a non-zero chance that he will suit up against his old Saints team. The Vikings host New Orleans in Week 10 and Smith is stepping into a very winnable situation. Minnesota’s backfield is in shambles after they cut Dalvin Cook, featuring unproven pros Alexander Mattison, Ty Chandler, and Kene Nwangwu as well as seventh-round rookie draft pick DeWayne McBride. Mattison has never eclipsed 500 or more rushing yards in a single season (and he’s currently nursing a tweaked hamstring), while Chandler and Nwangwu combine for fewer than 30 career rushing attempts in the NFL. If Smith can make the most of his opportunities in preseason and protect the football, he just might catch on.

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Giants assistant Anthony Blevins named head coach of XFL’s Vegas Vipers

Dr. Anthony Blevins will coach the XFL’s Vegas Vipers

Anthony Blevins is headed to the XFL — again.

Blevins will leave his job as New York Giants assistant special teams coach to be the head coach of the Vegas Vipers in the fledgling league.

“I’m honored to be named head coach of the Vipers,” Blevins said in a statement through the league. “I watched the XFL last season, and I was incredibly impressed by the action on the field and the coaching on the sidelines. I’m looking forward to taking the next step in my career.”

Blevins replaces Pro Football Hall of Famer Rod Woodson, who coached the Vipers in 2023 as the league returned. The Vipers were 2-8 and last in the North Division.

“Following a nationwide search, we are proud to introduce Anthony Blevins as the head coach of the Vipers,” XFL President Russ Brandon said. “Our players will have an incredible opportunity to learn from a coach with NFL and NCAA experience, and we look forward to seeing his impact on the field and in the locker room.”

Blevins actually was part of an original USFL franchise in 2001 as he played with the Birmingham Thunderbolts. In 2015, he earned a Ph.D. in instructional systems and workforce development from Mississippi State.

Bobby Wagner says he wants to be part of the XFL

We’re assuming Wagner means as an investor rather than a linebacker.

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The NFL swallows so much oxygen that it’s difficult for pro spring leagues to stick around. If any of them have a chance, it’s the latest iteration of the XFL, which is led by Dwayne Johnson.

Promising as it is, it takes time to build up any sports league and this past year they reportedly lost $60 million. Johnson still believes it can be a success, though and he’s not the only one. Over the weekend, Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner tweeted that he wants to be part of the XFL and tagged The Rock in it.

We’re assuming Wagner means as an investor rather than a linebacker. While he’s not in Johnson’s league financially, Wagner has made over $96 million in his NFL career so far.

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