The XFL is back after nearly 20 years, and the first game saw the D.C. Defenders and the Seattle dragons have an exciting showdown.
The Cleveland Browns should be turning over every rock possible to find talent that the team can use. The XFL only issues one-year deals (for now) so any player that showcases his skills can find a new home after the NFL Draft when the XFL season ends. That means that most of the players on these teams aren’t just helping feed Vince McMahon’s vanity project, but are actively auditioning for NFL teams.
The first game of the revival saw the Seattle Dragons and the D.C. Defenders square off in an exciting matchup that saw a few names step up. It’ll be interesting to see which players can string together two months’ worth of play in order to truly warrant a slot on an NFL team, but for the first week, it’s safe to say that the first few names aren’t all that shocking.
We’re going to break down the first three names the Browns should keep an eye on for the post-Draft free agency period where XFL players will be eligible to sign with other teams. Not everyone on this list may be a starter but everyone should be viewed as an upgrade that can add a bit of splash to the franchise. Some will be more important than others, but all three names will be needed.
We’ll try to keep an updated running tally on the XFL players to watch, but for right now let’s just do the first game and go from there.
Seattle Dragons – WR Austin Proehl
Austin Proehl, the son of Ricky Proehl who was one of the slot receivers from Kurt Warner’s days in St. Louis with the Greatest Show on Turf, made a huge mark on the XFL in his first pro-game. The 5’9 wide receiver out of North Carolina University has a 4.41-40 yard dash and showed that he has exceptional route-running skills in his first pro-game. He showed he has great hips, which means he can rotate and shift his weight as needed in order to avoid being tackled and has great vision to be able to put himself in a position to make plays.
Proehl was the only receiver to step up for Seattle, catching 10 passes for 88 yards, while scoring two touchdowns and performing well on special teams. With how bad former Memphis Express quarterback, Brandon Silvers played, it’s not hard to think that the first game of the XFL would have been a lopsided beating if it wasn’t for Proehl stepping up to make plays.
Proehl was a 7th round draft pick out in 2018 and failed to catch on with Buffalo, Tennessee, and the L.A. Rams before leaving the NFL and heading to the XFL. Not every player is always properly evaluated and sometimes coaches just assume that because of someone’s size that they can’t play. It’s stereotypical and bull ducky to make that assumption but if his play in week one is any sign of what you can expect from Proehl in the subsequent weeks, we could be watching The Browns slot receiver for the next ten years.
D.C. Defenders – OLB Jonathan Massaquoi, SS Matt Elam
The D.C. Defenders lived up to their name, making several big plays defensively to hold the Dragons at bay. They were lead by two-NFL veterans in outside linebacker Jonathan Massaquoi and strong safety Matt Elam.
Massaquoi was 5th round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and went to the Atlanta Falcons where he played outside linebacker. At 31 Massaquoi isn’t a long term solution like Proehl, but he can be a back-up or spot starter for the Browns in either a 3-4 or 4-3 defense. He’s the only person from the first game to record a whole sack and showed great pressure all day. The former University of Troy standout was so a sack machine during his collegiate days, recording 19.5 sacks in his two seasons there.
Elam, on the other hand, was a 1st round pick in 2013 to the Baltimore Ravens. Despite playing well for the Ravens, Elam was released after a series of legal issues that saw him out of the league for nearly four years. He spent some time in the Canadian Football League but couldn’t make it work with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and was released.
He played strong coverage for the Defenders, even though the Dragons weren’t too dangerous in the air. Assuming Elam has corrected his issues, is staying out of trouble won’t be a headcase, Elam would be an instant replacement for the Browns at strong safety assuming the team doesn’t bring back the 2019 starters. Both would shore up the defense, even in reserve roles.
D.C. Defenders – QB Cardale Jones
The D.C. Defenders didn’t look perfect offensively, with Cardale Jones missing some very easy throws, and some receivers just being out of position but Jones showed that he has something to offer teams as an NFL player.
Jones, a former 4th round pick to the Buffalo Bills in 2016 served as a back up for future Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor. A lot of Bills faithful thought he was going to be the QB of the future but it ended up not being the case, as he was traded just a year later to the Los Angeles Chargers. He was waived a year later and signed to the practice squad in 2018. He’d find his way to the Seattle Seahawks before again getting cut.
Now with the XFL Defenders, he’s showing he has skills to win games. He posed 291 yards, with about a 62% completion percentage, finishing the day with two touchdowns to his name. He added another 28 yards rushing, but Jones isn’t much of a runner. He’s about 250 pounds and barely breaks the 5.0-second mark on the 40-yard dash. Bringing him in to be a Taysum Hill-type backup is not in the cards here.
Jones would serve no more for the Browns than as a traditional backup who might be able to win a game or two in spot starts. Any Browns fan thinking that Jones is the “answer” to replacing Baker Mayfield is struggling with reality. Mayfield is not close to being replaced and is absolutely the long-term option at the position. Jones just adds depth to a team that needs it.