The XFL Draft has come and gone with
hardly evening making a dent in the sports world, or so it seems. In fact, it
seemed as though Vince McMahon and the WWE Draft had more mainstream coverage
on Fox television than the XFL received.
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Howie Long and Terry
Bradshaw all made an appearance during the recent event in which wrestlers were
selected to perform on either Raw or Smackdown. Unfortunately for football
fans, Fox along with ABC and ESPN seemed to look past a great opportunity for
fans to be invested in the relaunching of the league.
For those unfamiliar to the names to watch
in the upcoming season, there will be no “He
Hate Me” on the back of jerseys, but there are plenty of players worth
checking out. Out of the most recognizable names, Landry Jones, Cardale Jones
and Christine Michael were all selected in the first five tiers of the XFL
Draft.
With 568 players drafted by the eight first
year teams to fill out their 71-training camp player roster, there were still a
number of notable players who went undrafted. For players who are either
looking to get back into the big league or trying to hold onto a professional
dream, the fact that they were not selected could be an eye opener.
Former NFL, CFL and AAF running back Trent
Richardson was one of the biggest surprises on draft day. A two-time BCS
National Champion, Richardson was the third overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft
and was projected to be an impact player for the Cleveland Browns. Unfortunately,
Richardson would only see action in 46 games during his time in the NFL.
Kendall Wright spent six years in the NFL,
five with the Tennessee Titans and one with the Chicago Bears. The twentieth
pick from the 2012 draft once recorded nearly 1,100 (1,079) yards and just
short of 100 (94) receptions in his second season in the league.
Even with a successful showing in NFL
Super Bowl 50 as part of his resume, defensive end Kony Ealy could not
impress any of the eight XFL teams enough to select him. For three years
following his appearance in the NFL championship game, Ealy made stops in New
England, New York (Jets), Dallas and Oakland before currently finding himself
as a free agent.
While their names were not part of the XFL
Draft eligibility list, do not be surprised if prior to the start of the season
that somehow either Johnny Manziel or Colin Kaepernick find their way onto an
XFL roster.
Judging by Kaepernick’s request for a $20
million deal to join the former Alliance of American Football league, it seems
far-fetched that the former San Francisco 49er’s quarterback would be content
with an XFL deal. As for Manziel, the much travelled, much troubled former star
quarterback would be a great character fit in the former XFL league.
However, it remains to be seen whether any
team is willing to take a chance on signing a player who they would have to
worry about off field and locker room antics or not he is still interested in
playing football.
With the XFL Supplemental Draft scheduled
to take place near the end of November, there is a second chance that some of
these notable names could make their way onto the tryout roster of one of the
eight teams in the league.
For the league to succeed, Vince McMahon
will have to hope that some NFL talent that has been released this season is
looking for a place to show their talents in hopes of signing a contract next
season. In 2001, McMahon looked to shock value to highlight his venture into
professional sports. In order for the revamped league to last longer than a
single season, he will have to rely on talent.
