The XFL’s transaction page is blowing up as teams fill out their rosters, and today we have two exciting new developments here.
The Seattle Dragons have at last signed QB Joe Callahan, who was initially drafted by the team but ended up on the Detroit Lions practice squad. The Dallas Renegades also shipped DT Nick James-Mississippi State to the Houston Roughnecks in exchange for TE Julian Allen-Southern Mississippi.
Dragons QB Battle
So far this offseason, Brandon Silvers and BJ Daniels have been neck and neck, competing for the Seattle Dragons starting QB gig. Chase Litton has been in there as well, and it’s been an interesting storyline to follow through camp. The competition just heated up though, as Joe Callahan brings yet another viable option to their QB room.
The D-III legend put up insane numbers in small school ball at Wesley and stirred up enough attention for himself to land spots with the Packers, Saints, Browns, Buccaneers, Eagles, Ravens and Lions. Since going undrafted in 2016, his accuracy, poise and arm talent have kept pro teams calling, and the Dragons might now have the deepest QB room in the XFL.
Brandon Silvers-Troy played well in the AAF last spring and could be a fantastic fit in Jim Zorn’s West Coast hybrid, while BJ Daniels offers value as a dual-threat veteran with a big arm. Chase Litton has a prototypical frame and has spent a few years as a reserve QB in the NFL, but we haven’t seen too many waves out of him so far in camp.
Callahan really throws an interesting wrinkle into this group. Though he’s rarely seen the field in regular-season play, he’s shined in preseason action for the past few years, putting up 989 yards, 4TDs and only 1 INT with a 60.4% completion rate.
Dallas – Houston Trade
Both teams got better here, and it’s refreshing to see a trade beyond just a WR swap. The Renegades filled out their TE group here, and Julian Allen could be a good receiving option behind Donald Parham.
With a 6’3, 249-pound frame he could add value as a blocker as well with good leverage off the snap. At Southern Miss, he caught 22 passes for 298 yards and a score in two seasons of play.
The Roughnecks shored up their trenches by adding Nick James. He showed the ability to be a disputer at Mississippi State, with 6 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, a PD and a forced fumble. He’s stout against the run, and uses his 6’5″, 325-pound frame to eat up blocks.
He’s spent time with the Detroit Lions in the NFL, the Birmingham Iron in the AAF, and notched 7 stops with the Saskatchewan Roughriders up north in 2017. He’ll join talented D-Lineman and Edge Rushers like Kony Ealy (15 Sacks-NFL) and Taylor Reed (17 Sacks-CFL), and the Roughnecks Defense is starting to look really heavy so far.
