Tag: St Louis BattleHawks

7 XFL players the Ravens could target

With XFL players free to sign with NFL teams, here are seven names the Baltimore Ravens could be interested in during free agency

The coronavirus pandemic has impacted sports all across the world with several big-name events being delayed or even canceled. One such event was the 2020 debut campaign for the XFL, which stopped after just five games. With the spring league cutting its inaugural season short, any players who took part are now allowed to sign with an NFL team, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.

For many of the XFL’s players, playing a handful of live games this spring has allowed them to put some tape together and hopefully impress both scouts and general managers. Plenty of small school prospects that likely just got missed previously got a chance to show what they could do against some standouts.

With the NFL in the middle of free agency and a whole new market of players opened up to sign, here are seven players the Baltimore Ravens could be interested in bringing aboard.

Mary Holt-USA TODAY Sports

WR Cam Phillips

Phillips played for the Houston Roughnecks and ending up leading the XFL in all three major receiving categories. Phillips finished the season with 31 receptions for 455 yards along with nine touchdown catches.

Phillips was an undrafted free agent out of Virginia Tech in 2018 although he did spend most of that season with the Buffalo Bills. Phillips played two games for the Bills, catching his only target for nine yards.

The Ravens need to get more out of their wide receivers in 2020 and haven’t really addressed the position in the early stages of free agency. Phillips’ production for the Roughnecks makes him a player that should certainly be on the radar of most NFL teams.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7

With XFL now cancelled, what’s next for former Longhorns?

Now that the XFL has followed suit and cancelled their season, what could be the next stop for three former Texas Longhorns?

The XFL was part of every major sports league that cancelled their season due to the outbreak. The XFL released a statement on the cancellation.

It was a great gesture by the league to pay their players the base salary plus benefits despite the league cancelling the remainder of their first season. With their season now in the books, what is in the future for the three former Texas Longhorns who were still on active rosters?

Cedric Reed and Patrick Vahe of the Los Angeles Wildcats and Kent Perkins of the St Louis Battlehawks will now have an opportunity to get another shot at the NFL if a team should look their way for training camp rosters in the 2020-21 NFL seasons.

Vahe was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens following the 2019 NFL Draft. He spent the entire offseason and training camp with the team prior to the beginning of the season. He was a roster cut casualty before being picked up the following October for the XFL Draft. He should garner some interest this offseason.

Perkins was a part of the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals as part of their practice squad, moving up to the active roster late in the 2017 and 2018 seasons. He, much like Vahe, was an undrafted free agent after not being selected in the draft. He was released after announcing retirement from the NFL. He resurfaced in the XFL, so could he apply for re-instatement into the NFL? That will be one situation to monitor.

Both Vahe and Perkins could provide interior depth for the upcoming seasons provided they are brought onto training camp rosters. Both should still be eligible to be on practice squads for the upcoming season.

The third member of the former Longhorns who could make the jump back to the NFL is Cedric Reed. He was an undrafted free agent from the 2015 NFL Draft class. Reed signed with the Buffalo Bills and spent the 2015 season as a member of their practice squad.

He was released the following July and picked up by the Miami Dolphins. He would be released prior to the 2016 season as part of roster cuts. Reed didn’t play football again until he was picked up in the XFL Draft. As a member of the Wildcats, Reed accumulated 13 tackles, three sacks, three tackles for loss and five quarterback hits in five games.

The hope for Reed, Vahe and Perkins is that they put enough quality tape together for NFL teams to become interested. The possibility for the former Longhorns is there, just a matter of monitoring the situation at this point.

 

Week Two: Longhorns in the XFL

The XFL was back on the field for week two. Former Longhorns Cedric Reed, Patrick Vahe, Jerrod Heard and Kent Perkins all in action.

The XFL was back for week two of the 2020 rebirth season. Cedric Reed and Patrick Vahe of the Los Angels Wildcats faced off against Jerrod Heard and the Dallas Renegades. Vahe didn’t have a tipped pass caught for a reception in this game.

Heard wouldn’t catch a pass in this game and didn’t return a punt in this game. It was all quiet for the former quarterback turned receiver in the second game of his XFL career. Cedric Reed on the other hand, had more of an impact.

Reed got to the quarterback a couple times in this game with a quarterback hit and sack. It was quite reminiscent of his Longhorn days, seeing Reed bring down a former Sooners quarterback in Landry. Reed finished with three combined tackles, one sack, one qb hit and one tackle for loss. The Wildcats fell to the Renegades 25-18.

Kent Perkins and the St Louis Battlehawks lost to the Houston Roughnecks 28-24.

Week One: Longhorns In The XFL

Week one of the XFL is now in the books. Here are how the former Texas Longhorns fared in their first game of the season.

Football is back after a long five day layoff following the Super Bowl last weekend. The XFL rebirth kicked off on Saturday with their first two games and followed that with the final two on Sunday. Four former Texas Longhorns players took part in the first XFL season since the league folded in 2001.

There were no Longhorns in the initial game of the XFL season between Seattle and DC. However, in the second game between the Los Angeles Wildcats and Houston Roughnecks featured two former Texas players.

  • Cedric Reed: One tackle
  • Patrick Vahe: One reception on a tipped passed that went for five yards.

In the first game on Sunday, neither team had a former Longhorn when the Tampa Bay Vipers traveled to New York to face the Guardians. The final game between the St Louis Battlehawks and the Dallas Renegades saw two former Texas players facing either other.

  • Kent Perkins: started at left guard for St Louis.
  • Jerrod Heard: One punt return for 16 yards