The pandemic may have shortened the amount of players on NFL rosters at this point, and more cuts will be coming soon. Even so, more former XFL players have had workouts for NFL teams over the last few days.
Cardale Jones – Raiders
Arguably the biggest was Defenders QB Cardale Jones‘ opportunity with the Raiders. Not a lot of action for the QBs outside of Jordan Ta’amu and PJ Walker, but the Raiders seemed to have liked what they saw in Jones, and brought him in.
The Las Vaegas club already has Marcus Mariota and Nathan Peterman on the roster along with starter Derek Carr, but some are reporting that camp isn’t going so well for Mariota. Which could be the big reson why the brought in Jones.
Jones played for Ohio State, and became a household name when he led the Buckeyes from 3rd on the depth chart to beat Oregon for the National Championship in 2014. Many had counted Ohio State out, since starter Braxton Miller, and backup JT Barrett had been hurt, but Jones came in, beat Alabama, and then went on to claim the MVP.
A 4th round pick by the Bills, Jones bounced around from the to the Chargers, and finally the Seahawks.
Willie Beavers – Falcons
Another XFL star that got a workout on Thursday was Renegades G Willie Beavers. Beavers was a big part of the offensive line that allowed QB Landry Jones to have success, and for Cameron Artis-Payne to be 4th in the league in rushing.
Willie played his college ball at Western Michigan, and had made it on several NFL practice squads, before being drafted by the Renegades. Thursday he got another shot at it with the Falcons. We’ll soon see if he gets signed to camp.
Jay Bromley – Bears
Defenders DT Jay Bromley worked out with the Bears on Thursday. Bromley was part of the defensive line that helped DC be so dominant.
Drafted out of Syracuse by the Giants in the 3rd round, Bromley played in New York for 3 seasons before being picked up by the Saints and then the 49ers.
Christian Kuntz – Texans
Renegades LS/LB Christian Kuntz also worked out on Thursday for the Texans. Kuntz had been signed this offseason by the Steelers, but was a victim of the smaller rosters that the NFL has to have this season.
Kuntz played his college ball at Duquesne before signing with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent. From there his journey took him to several teams, from the Broncos, Jaguars and Steelers, before being slected by Dallas in the XFL.
Being able to play both long-snapper and linebacker, gives him a head up above some of the other players that are getting workouts. Many LS are specialists, even from the college ranks. Kuntz was able to play mutliple positions on the defense and special teams, and that may help him solidify a spot in the NFL.
These are just the most recent workouts by XFL players. Things are picking up as we get closer to the start of the NFL season, and even though teams need to be down to 80 players as soon as possible, the fact that XFL players are still getting opportunities to showcase their skills, means a lot for the league.
If they are signed, there will be more spots to fill for the spring. So far over 45 players have signed NFL deals. The new owners have a lot of work on their hands to get these rosters filled. But believe us, there will be a lot of talent on the XFL fields come 2021.
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