Category: XFL

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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Meet the Team: Who is Saints DT Jack Heflin, and what’s expected of him in 2023?

Meet the Team: Who is Saints defensive tackle Jack Heflin, and what are realistic expectations for him in 2023?

The revamped XFL has ambitions of becoming a real developmental spring league for NFL prospects who need more reps, so it has to be encouraging for them to see players like Jack Heflin get an opportunity with the New Orleans Saints.

Heflin won All-XFL recognition with the Houston Roughnecks last year. Now he’s competing for a roster spot in New Orleans. But who is he? What are realistic expectations for him in 2023? Let’s answer those questions now that he’s wearing black and gold:

Report: Browns hosted XFL running back Max Borghi for workout on Wednesday

Another XFL player was hosted for a workout.

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Not only did the Cleveland Browns bring in XFL tight end Sal Cannella for a workout on Wednesday, but he was also joined by another XFL counterpart in running back Max Borghi (according to The OBR’s Brad Stainbrook). And apparently, they were not the only two in town either.

An undrafted free agent out of Washington State, Borghi spent last offseason with the Denver Broncos but failed to make the roster. In eight games with the Houston Renegades, Borghi averaged four yards per carry as he ran for 310 yards and six touchdowns on 78 carries. He added another 139 yards on 21 catches out of the backfield.

As the Browns potentially look to add another running back to their roster behind Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford, they are turning over every stone.

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Report: Browns bring in XFL TE Sal Cannella for a workout

The Browns continue to dig through XFL talent.

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The Cleveland Browns have not been strangers in terms of looking at XFL talent that could help their roster. They have had players like cornerback Luc Barqoo and XFL Defensive Player of the Year Pita Taumoepenu in for tryouts, and now they have tried out tight end Sal Cannella as well (according to Aaron Wilson).

Cannella racked up 415 yards on 42 catches for the Arlington Renegades this season. The Auburn product has spent time with the Green Bay Packers as well but has never made an NFL roster. While the Browns may opt not to make a move, they have taken a step in the direction of keeping close tabs on the XFL.

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Seahawks signing former Seattle Sea Dragons DL Austin Faoliu

The former Duck is staying in the Pacific Northwest

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The Seattle Seahawks may have concluded the 2023 NFL draft but it certainly is not stopping them from making more player transactions. This time, the Seahawks did not have to look very far to bring in a new player to the organization.

On Monday it was reported by Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston that Seattle was signing defensive lineman Austin Faoliu. For those who followed the XFL this year, the name should sound familiar as he was a member of the Seattle Sea Dragons.

Faoliu recorded 24 total tackles – two for a loss 0 – and a sack in the re-rebooted XFL season. The Sea Dragons qualified for the postseason but fell to the DC Defenders for a third time. Faoliu was also an Oregon Duck who had 113 total tackles and six sacks during his time in Eugene.

Faoliu’s signing signifies the real value of the XFL. Sure, it’s great to watch quality football in the spring to feed our collective addiction to the sport, but it can also provide a great avenue for players right on the NFL bubble to show the league they deserve another shot. As of right now, Faoliu is getting his with another Seattle based team.

Seahawks updated 90-man roster after rookie minicamp

Saints sign a familiar face out of the XFL after a tryout at rookie minicamp

The Saints signed a familiar face out of the XFL after a tryout at rookie minicamp: defensive end Niko Lalos, who also joined them for training camp last year

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The New Orleans Saints signed a familiar face out of the XFL after a tryout at rookie minicamp: defensive end Niko Lalos, who also joined them for training camp last year. Lalos played well for a few weeks before roster cuts but didn’t have enough time to make his case for a roster spot, so he’ll get another opportunity after competing in the spring league.

Originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of Dartmouth, Lalos started his NFL career with the New York Giants in 2020 and has bounced around the league since then, including his stint in New Orleans — he joined their practice squad in mid-November and stayed there to close out the season before teaming up with the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons. He played the third-most defensive snaps for them but made more plays in run defense than as a pass rusher.

He’ll be pushing Jabari Zuniga for snaps at the bottom of the depth chart, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see either player (or both of them) brought back to the practice squad. The top five roster spots appear to be set with Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson starting, backed up by some combination of Tanoh Kpassagnon, Isaiah Foskey, and Payton Turner.

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Saints sign former XFL defensive tackle Jack Heflin after minicamp tryout

The Saints signed former XFL defensive tackle Jack Heflin after his minicamp tryout. He’s won a spot on an NFL roster before:

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Here’s another solid depth signing: NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the New Orleans Saints are signing defensive tackle Jack Heflin after he tried out at their recent rookie minicamp, adding more pro experience to a group that could use it. Heflin played for the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks this year after previously appearing in games for the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants.

Heflin, 25, played college football for three years at Northern Illinois before transferring to Iowa — from there he signed with the Packers as an undrafted free agent, and played well enough in preseason to earn a spot on their roster, though he was later bumped down to the practice squad. He’s totaled just 40 defensive snaps in five career NFL games, though he put up over 300 snaps on tape in the XFL this season.

He’ll be competing for the fourth defensive tackle spot with Malcolm Roach, Prince Emili (returning from last year’s practice squad), and Jerron Cage (an undrafted rookie out of Ohio State), with the top three spots secured by Bryan Bresee, Khalen Saunders, and Nathan Shepherd.

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D.C. Defenders come up short in the XFL championship game

The Defenders finish the year with a 10-2 record, and had fans in D.C. excited about pro football again.

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Defeating the same team back-to-back in a period of a few weeks can be a difficult task in football. The D.C. Defenders learned this hard lesson Saturday night in the XFL championship, falling to the Arlington Renegades 35-26. Arlington is the first XFL champion since 2001 — the league’s first season in existence.

D.C. and Arlington last met in Week 9 — the second-to-last game of the regular season — and the Defenders walked away with a hard-fought 28-26 overtime win.

In Saturday’s XFL championship played in San Antonio, the Renegades jumped out to a 14-0 lead over D.C. and never looked back. Anytime the Defenders looked like they were about to mount a rally, Arlington responded with either a touchdown or a turnover. D.C. quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, the XFL’s offensive player of the year in 2023, completed 16 of 30 passing attempts for 245 yards and two touchdowns. However, it was his three interceptions that doomed the Defenders.

Meanwhile, his counterpart, Arlington’s Luis Perez, completed 26 of 36 attempts for 288 yards and three touchdowns. Perez was named the MVP of the championship game.

Arlington finished the XFL season 6-6, while the Defenders lost only their second game and finished the year with a 10-2 record.

Overall, it was a successful season for the Defenders, who brought excitement back to the nation’s capital. Audi Field was the best atmosphere in the league, and it was praised by XFL co-owner Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on multiple occasions. Johnson and fellow owner, Dany Garcia, were in town to present the trophy to the Renegades.

Congrats to the Defenders on a fun and successful season and we look forward to 2024.

The XFL’s Arlington Renegades went from a 4-6 regular season to a championship victory

The Arlington Renegades went 4-6 in the regular season. They also just won the XFL championship.

The Arlington Renegades only went 4-6 in the XFL regular season, but they still somehow managed to win the league championship on Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

The team toppled the 10-win D.C. Defenders, 35-26, to take the XFL championship for 2023, a stunning fact when you realize they’d only won four games out of 10 before the XFL playoffs.

However, the Renegades caught fire in the postseason and defeated the Houston Roughnecks in the semifinals to reach Saturday’s championship.

Former University of Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops coached the Renegades to the improbable title victory, one that just shows how fascinating a league like the XFL can be.

How often is it that a team with a 4-6 regular season can storm the playoffs and win the entire league?

Arlington’s quarterback Luis Perez was acquired midseason via a trade and threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns in the victory,

Renegades running back Leddie Brown also played a key role in the win despite not scoring a touchdown for the entire season.

Stoops got predictably drenched as the clock winded down on the Renegades’ XFL title, a fascinating way for this football season to end.