The second game of the XFL premiere week-schedule saw four names pop up on film and in the stat lines that the Browns should be keeping an eye on.
As mentioned earlier, the XFL contracts will not be an issue to deal with for NFL teams. As soon as the season is over, players are free to sign anywhere they want if there are offers pending. So that means every player that gets reviewed could easily be in Cleveland or any other of the 31 NFL cities come this summer.
Unlike in the first game of the day, this one wasn’t so close, as Houston drubbed Los Angeles in a one-sided affair. The game was close at half time, but penalties and miscommunication lead to Los Angeles falling apart. Houston pounced, behind starting quarterback P.J. Walker and pushed the (somehow) third pro football team in LA back out the door.
Three names popped up in this game that might just be difference makers for the Cleveland Browns in their quest to turn around their franchise after a dismal 6-10 season. With the key portions of the team figured out, depth becomes a priority and these three names could truly prove to be good backups, if not game-changers.
The potential for so many of these players is endless and with the Browns desperate to find players who can make a big impact not just on the field but in the locker room as well, keeping an eye on XFL talent makes sense. So many talented players get past by every day for one reason or another. All it takes is a bit of buzz and that’s all it takes for someone to finally give a guy a chance.
So who from the late-game saw their stock rise as these players try and get back to the ‘big-leagues’?
Los Angeles Wildcats – WR Nelson Spruce
Nelson Spruce was arguably the only player for the Los Angeles Wildcats who made a dent, catching 11 receptions for 103 yards. He averaged just under ten years a catch during the game. Considering starting quarterback Chad Kanoff completed barely-better than 50% of his throws (21 of 40), Spruce’s performance was even more impressive. He was responsible for catching half of all completed throws on the day but was held scoreless with Jordan Smallwood being the only player to catch a touchdown pass in the game.
Spruce is a tall target at 6’1 and has sure hands. He has a habit of having big games when targeted often. When he was with the San Diego Fleet of the AAF, he had a game of 12 receptions for 146 yards. He’s a high volume receiver and could be akin to a Brian Finneran type player where he can get space thanks to his height and be a red-zone target. Spruce was a 2x Second Team All Pac-12 during his time in Colorado and had brief stints in the NFL already as a practice squad player.
Several strong performances could be exactly what Spruce needs to get noticed by the NFL, namely the Browns. He’s not the fastest guy in the world, having a 4.79 40-yard dash, but he has sure hands and the size needed to be a target in the endzone and across the middle. The only thing holding him back from catching on with the Browns would be consistency. Will the Wildcats target him enough throughout the season for people to see what he can truly do with given opportunities?
Here’s hoping the LA Wildcats can keep themselves together enough for specific players to showcase their talents.
Houston Roughnecks – QB PJ Walker
Phillip ‘PJ’ Walker came out of Temple University undrafted and spent about three years with the Indianapolis Colts as a member of their practice squad. The soon-to-be 25-year-old quarterback beat out Michigan State alum Connor Cook to win the starting job for the Houston Roughnecks, and the fans of Houston are thankful he ended up on their squad.
Walker scorched the Wildcats, throwing just under 60% of his completions, for 4 touchdowns, and one interception. He racked up 272 yards in his first night with the red, white and blue and did so in front of a jacked-up home crowd that hung onto his every throw.
Walker, like Cardale Jones from earlier in the day, isn’t a guy you’re going to bring into Cleveland to be a replacement for Baker Mayfield. Mayfield is the guy, some fans just need to deal with it. Yet, Walker showed in this game that he has the capability of being a big-time passer in the pro-ranks. The only question is if it’ll be for the XFL, the NFL, the CFL or that league in Japan. Consistency is the name of the game and Walker, like every other player on these lists, needs to show that he can be consistent.
Walker isn’t a world-beater in speed, like Jones and the aforementioned Spruce, Walker only ran a 4.79 40-yard dash. He’s got good footwork and showed in the game against L.A. that he can evade as needed but Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen he isn’t. He’s certainly capable of being a back-up if today was any indication of what he’s capable of.
Houston Roughnecks – RB/WR/QB Nick Holley
Nick Holley is a story that you Roughneck fans will want to keep an eye on. Nick and his twin brother Nate are both pro football players today. Nate for the Calgary Stampeders as a linebacker, where he racked up 78 tackles in his first season with the team.
His twin brother Nick, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky. During his time with the Kent State Golden Flashes, Holley suffered two torn ACL. In between the injuries, Holley started at wide receiver, running back and quarterback for the Ohio-based college. He gained 1,776-yards rushing, another 380 receiving, and passed for another 974. He totaled 27 touchdowns in his collegiate career and caught on with the Los Angeles Rams for a little bit.
Holley is versatile, athletic and fast. He’s posted a 4.40 after his ACL tears and showed in his first game with the Roughriders that he still has what it takes to play pro-football. Whether that’s at running back or wide receiver is anyone’s guess. He showed up big for the Roughriders Saturday night, catching four passes, for 50 yards; including one that saw him go up between two defenders and catch the ball despite abusive amounts of contact. He didn’t get any carries this week, though hopefully, that’ll change as the offense gets more comfortable and the team feels more confident with taking risks.
It’s likely we’ll see Holley in a lot more pro games going forward be in the XFL or the NFL because he loves the game. If three ACL tears and a broken back couldn’t stop him, what makes anyone think that he can’t do the impossible?