As the NFL scrambles to get their regular season launched on time, the league has decided to scrap the preseason entirely, and trim camp rosters from 90 spots down to 80. The stated goal of this is to reduce contacts and aid social distancing, but this only steepened the uphill battle that roster bubble guys have to climb to make the cut.
Those last 10 spots are often given to camp arms and UDFA’s trying to get their shot. With reduced opportunities, 320 talented players around the league have seen their hopes for 2020 dashed prematurely.
In the leadup to the XFL’s 2020 debut, Oliver Luck famously said that the
“Best 560 players not in the NFL, are now in the XFL”.
Well, the talent pool for a potential 2021 return just gained the 320 best players not in the NFL.
While under normal circumstances, many of these guys would have been able to get reps and film throughout camp and the preseason, they’re now on the street. This means they’re much less likely to wind up on practice squads, as most of those spots will go to the guys who get cut in the 80-53 trimdown after camp.
The XFL already boasted a strong front of talent in 2020, but this new infusion of young potential into circulation could be very good for the XFL if and when teams return to the field.
For news of the league sale coming up in August, stay tuned at XFL News Hub!
