Tag: XFL

Former Ohio State football star signs with XFL

A former Ohio State star gets an opportunity in the #XFL. #GoBucks

The XFL 3.0 just ended its first season and it was an extreme success. It saw two former Ohio State football players really shine when given an opportunity in the upstart league with Rod Smith starting for the Vegas Vipers and Antwuan Jackson for the Seattle Sea Dragons.

Jackson shined so bright he was actually able to parlay that opportunity into an NFL shot with the Carolina Panthers, which is ultimately the goal for most of these players. The XFL, which is owned by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, has announced that there will be a season in 2024. The league is already beginning the process of adding free agents.

One of the largest free agents of note for the D.C. Defenders is former Ohio State cornerback, Gareon Conley. The former All-Big Ten defensive back has not had the smoothest NFL career. After being drafted in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders, Conley was not horrible, but not at the quality of a first-round selection. As a result, they elected to trade him to the Houston Texans in 2019.

Conley was again OK in Houston — he continued to deal with some injuries and his final season in the NFL was in 2020. He is still only 28 years old and has some juice left in the football tank, so getting another shot in the XFL appears to be an ideal situation. But he did not seem sold on the situation according to his X account, formerly known as Twitter.

I’m unsure why Conley has labeled the situation as “complex,” but we wish him good luck.

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Broncos worked out 3 wide receivers before training camp

The Broncos worked out WRs Michael Bandy, Josh Hammond and Justin Marshall on Tuesday. Bandy and Hammond played in the XFL this spring.

The Denver Broncos worked out three wide receivers Tuesday ahead of the start of training camp.

The Broncos brought in Michael Bandy, Josh Hammond and Justin Marshall, according to KPRC-TV’s Aaron Wilson. Two of those receivers — Bandy and Hammond — played in the XFL this spring.

Bandy totaled five receptions for 35 yards in two games with the Houston Roughnecks this spring. He played college football at the University of San Diego and went undrafted in 2020. Bandy then spent 2021-2022 with the Los Angeles Chargers. He dressed for 11 games and caught 10 passes for 89 yards with the Chargers.

Hammond played in 10 games for the DC Defenders this spring and totaled 34 receptions for 331 yards and one touchdown. He signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent out of Florida in 2020. Before playing in the XFL, Hammond spent time with three NFL teams from 2021-2022.

Marshall signed with the Atlanta Falcons this spring as an undrafted free agent out of Buffalo. He was cut by the Falcons on June 16.

At the time of this writing, none of the three WRs who worked out for the Broncos have been signed. They will likely be kept in mind for down the road if any injuries happen during training camp.

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Vikings sign former XFL G Jack Snyder

On Monday, the Minnesota Vikings signed former San Jose State and Houston Roughnecks guard Jack Snyder.

With two roster spots open, the Minnesota Vikings filled one of those by signing former XFL guard Jack Snyder.

Earlier on Monday, they signed TE Colin Thompson, waived WR Malik Knowles, placed guard/center Chris Reed on the non-football injury list and placed OLB Andre Carter II on the physically unable to perform list.

After playing six years at San Jose State, Snyder joined the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent. He didn’t play a game with them and was released before he could.

He played with the Houston Roughnecks in the XFL this past spring and joins the Vikings who need offensive line depth with Reed on the non-football injury list.

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Free agent QB Reid Sinnett also working out for Seahawks today

While training camp won’t technically start until Wednesday, the Seahawks front office is definitely putting in a full day.

While training camp won’t technically start until Wednesday, the Seahawks front office is definitely putting in a full day.

Ever since free agency began, Pete Carroll and John Schneider have been hyper-focused on improving their defensive front seven. That work continued today as the team brought in three free agents for a workout: two linebackers and a defensive lineman. A quarterback is also visiting, apparently.

According to a report by Jordan Schultz, free-agent QB Reid Sinnett will be throwing at the VMAC today.

Sinnett (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) keeps today’s San Diego origin story theme going strong. While he didn’t get much experience at the college level, Sinnett got his money’s worth. In his one season as a starter, he totaled 3,528 passing yards and 32 touchdowns and added another 174 yards and six scores as a rusher. He was named a Walter Payton Award finalist for his efforts.

Since going undrafted, Sinnett has put in time with several NFL teams, beginning with the Buccaneers in 2020, followed by the Miami Dolphins and the Philadelphia Eagles. Last season he played for the San Antonio Brahmas in the XFL but suffered a broken foot in his only start.

If the Seahawks sign Sinnett, he’ll likely compete with Holton Ahlers for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart at quarterback.

More Seahawks Wire stories

90-man roster by jersey number going into training camp

3 free agent front-7 defenders visit Seattle for workouts

Rutgers football: Drew Singleton invited to the XFL Combine

Former Rutgers football linebacker Drew Singleton is on the radar of the XFL.

Drew Singleton will have a big opportunity towards the next step in his professional career at next week’s XFL Combine. The former Rutgers football linebacker will participate at the event this week.

Singleton transferred to Rutgers following two seasons at Michigan, where he had originally committed as a member of the 2017 recruiting class. He was one of the nation’s top linebacker recruits at the time.

In 2021, his final season at Rutgers, it all came together nicely for the New Jersey product. Singleton registered a career-high 55 tackles in addition to adding a half-sack and a fumble recovery.

Singleton posted on social media that he has been invited to participate in the XFL Combine, a significant step towards him potentially signing with the league.

 

Rutgers had hoped to land one more year of eligibility in 2022 for Singleton but their petition was denied.

Singleton had declared for the 2022 NFL draft following his third season at Rutgers. But when Rutgers (through unusual circumstances) got an invite to the Gator Bowl, Singleton decided to return and play in the game.

And, he got injured in the bowl game, complicating issues because he accepted money from an agent for training. His decision to do so means that he loses eligibility for his final season of college football.

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Report: Browns working out standout XFL wide receiver Jahcour Pearson

The breakout star of the XFL could join the Browns for training camp

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With the Cleveland Browns set to start training camp this weekend, they will work out standout XFL wide receiver Jahcour Pearson for a chance to join them for camp. In 10 games this year for the Seattle Dragons, Pearson had 60 receptions for 670 yards and four touchdowns.

Pearson is an intriguing player with the elite speed to stretch the field vertically and create explosive plays. Coming out of Ole Miss Pearson ran a 4.28 40-yard dash. It will be interesting to see if the team signs him as they have already added significant talent to the wide receiver room. The first day of training camp is Saturday as the team heads for Greenbrier West Virginia.

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Jaguars 2023 roster review: OLB Willie Taylor III

The Jaguars are hoping they found a hidden gem in former XFL pass rusher Willie Taylor III.

The brunt of the offseason is in the books and training camp is still off on the horizon. Join us in the NFL’s dead zone with a player-by-player review of the Jaguars roster ahead of the 2023 season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars finished the 2022 season with 26th most sacks in the NFL, but did very little to bolster their pass rushing group ahead of the 2023 season. They waited until the fifth round to add outside linebacker Yasir Abdullah and the team still hasn’t re-signed Dawuane Smoot.

However, the team did make one outside the box addition to their crop of pass rushers. In May, the team pilfered the XFL ranks and signed Willie Taylor III of the championship-winning Arlington Renegades.

In addition to four sacks and eight tackles for loss in the regular season, Taylor added another 1.5 sacks in the Renegades’ two playoff victories.

Prior to his brief XFL career, Taylor played for Washington State and transferred to Eastern Kentucky for his senior season.

Contract (2023): $750,000 base salary, $750,000 cap hit.

Acquired: Jaguars signed Taylor as a free agent on May 17, 2023.

PFF grades:

  • 66.6 (2022 – XFL)

Statistics:

  • Four sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception, eight tackles for loss (2022)

Highlight:

Quote: “He’ll get an opportunity. Whether he’ll get drafted or not doesn’t really matter — I don’t think to me or to him. He certainly has earned it, has done a good job and will get a chance in that league. That’s all you can ask for.” – Renegades executive Rick Mueller on Taylor

Calvin Ridley (No. 0) Travis Etienne Jr. (No. 1) Rayshawn Jenkins (No. 2) C.J. Beathard (No. 3) Tank Bigsby (No. 4) Andre Cisco (No. 5)
Chris Claybrooks (No. 6) Zay Jones (No. 7) Logan Cooke (No. 9) Parker Washington (No. 11) James McCourt (No. 12) Christian Kirk (No. 13)
Kendric Pryor (No. 14) Tim Jones (No. 15) Trevor Lawrence (No. 16) Evan Engram (No. 17) Nathan Rourke (No. 18) Sammis Reyes (No. 19)
Daniel Thomas (No. 20) Latavious Brini (No. 21) JaMycal Hasty (No. 22) Foyesade Oluokun (No. 23) Snoop Conner (No. 24) D’Ernest Johnson (No. 25)
Antonio Johnson (No. 26) Divaad Wilson (No. 27) Tevaughn Campbell (No. 29) Montaric Brown (No. 30) Darious Williams (No. 31) Tyson Campbell (No. 32)
Devin Lloyd (No. 33) Gregory Junior (No. 34) Ayo Oyelola (No. 35) Christian Braswell (No. 36) Tre Herndon (No. 37) Qadree Ollison (No. 38)
Jamal Agnew (No. 39) Erick Hallett (No. 40) Josh Allen (No. 41) Andrew Wingard (No. 42) Kaleb Hayes (No. 43) Derek Parish (No. 43)
Travon Walker (No. 44) K’Lavon Chaisson (No. 45) Ross Matiscik (No. 46) De’Shaan Dixon (No. 47) Chad Muma (No. 48) Shaquille Quarterman (No. 50)
Ventrell Miller (No. 51) DaVon Hamilton (No. 52) Willie Taylor III (No. 53) DJ Coleman (No. 54) Dequan Jackson (No. 55) Yasir Abdullah (No. 56)
Caleb Johnson (No. 57) Raymond Vohasek (No. 59) Darryl Williams (No. 60) Samuel Jackson (No. 62) Coy Cronk (No. 64) Chandler Brewer (No. 67)
Brandon Scherff (No. 68) Tyler Shatley (No. 69) Cole Van Lanen (No. 70) Walker Little (No. 72) Blake Hance (No. 73) Cam Robinson (No. 74)
Cooper Hodges (No. 75) Anton Harrison (No. 76) Josh Wells (No. 77) Ben Bartch (No. 78) Luke Fortner (No. 79) Kevin Austin Jr. (No. 80)
Seth Williams (No. 81) Elijah Cooks (No. 84) Brenton Strange (No. 85) Gerrit Prince (No. 86) Jaray Jenkins (No. 87) Oliver Martin (No. 88)
Luke Farrell (No. 89) Henry Mondeaux (No. 90) Jordan Smith (No. 92) Tyler Lacy (No. 93) Folorunso Fatukasi (No. 94) Roy Robertson-Harris (No. 95)
Adam Gotsis (No. 96) Nick Thurman (No. 97) Michael Dogbe (No. 98) Jeremiah Ledbetter (No. 99) Brandon McManus Jacob Harris
Josh Pederson

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Chargers 2023 roster review: WR Darrius Shepherd

Darrius Shepherd brings some returner competition for Derius Davis.

Training camp is nearing, and with a few more weeks of dead time during the quietest part of the NFL offseason, Chargers Wire is endeavoring to document each of Los Angeles’ players before it kicks off.

The Chargers signed wide receiver Darrius Shepherd last month.

Shepherd went undrafted in 2019 out of North Dakota State. He spent two seasons with the Packers, appearing in 14 games mostly as a kick returner over that time.

Shepherd spent time on the practice squads of the Cardinals, Vikings, Steelers and Broncos over the 2021 and 2022 seasons before getting taken by the Battlehawks in the XFL Draft last November.

Shepherd had a productive campaign in the XFL, finishing fourth in the league in receptions (48), seventh in receiving yards (519) and tied for second in touchdowns (six).

He made plenty of noise as a kick returner, racking up a league-leading 907 kick return yards en route to being named the XFL’s Special Teams Player of the Year.

Los Angeles’ decision to sign Shepherd was solely for special teams, as he is expected to offer some competition for the return specialist spot with Derius Davis.

Contract (2023): Shepherd signed a 1-year, $940,000 contract, including an average annual salary of $940,000.

Acquired: The Chargers signed Shepherd on June 1, 2023.

Highlight:

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.

WATCH: Former Badger Jack Coan’s 2023 XFL highlights

Coan recently completed his first season in the XFL

Former Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan is still trying to find his way onto an NFL roster. He worked out for the San Francisco 49ers earlier this offseason, that after spending his spring with the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL.

Coan appeared in eight games with the Brahmas, completing 62.2 percent of his passes for 1471 yards, six touchdowns, six interceptions and a passer rating 76.1.

There were no moments that rivaled popping his dislocated finger in before throwing a game-winning touchdown as he did in his final collegiate season at Notre Dame. But Coan was able to compile a few highlight-worthy plays. Those plays paired with his performance in his 49ers workout proved to be enough to earn an invite to camp next month.

Here are Coan’s highlights from his first XFL season: