St. Louis has football again and the XFL players from the wonderfully named BattleHawks really impressed against the Dallas Renegades.
The Browns should be keeping an eye out for the St. Louis BattleHawks after their win on Sunday. The XFL may have found their real face of the league thanks to the stellar play of BattleHawks starting quarterback Jodan Ta’amu. With his amazing opening week winding down in the XFL on this the inaugural weekend of play, the league and players have earned the right to be talked about. Good action, good pace, and fun new rules as the league begins to stand apart from the NFL.
With the league still in its re-infancy, and fans still trying to figure out who’s who and what’s what, it’s safe to say that a lot of NFL teams who may be having the same struggles. So many talented players ended up getting past the scouts somehow and ended up in the XFL. These players may have a lot to offer teams and the Browns are no different. Should the Browns go looking for talent, it’s very likely that the St. Louis BattleHawks get pillaged.
The Dallas Renegades showed up and tried their best but they weren’t as cohesive as the BattleHawks, mostly because former Pittsburgh Steeler Landry Jones was held out due to a knee injury that cost him practice time. With Jones out, the Renegades couldn’t muster enough offense and instead had to watch as the BattleHawks dominated the game with big plays, despite a close score.
So with that, let’s look at the three players the Browns should be watching from these two teams after week one of the season.
St. Louis BattleHawks – QB Jordan Ta’amu
Former Ole Miss quarterback Jordan Ta’amu may be the player to watch most from the XFL after week one. Obviously consistency matters but if what Ta’amu did this week is any indication of what he can do over the course of a ten-game season, then this young man is going to be a starter for a long time.
Ta’amu racked up nearly 300 total yards of offense, with 209 passing, on 20 of 27 passing attempts, while racking up 77 rushing yards on nine carries. The Renegades played good defense, but Ta’amu was able to use his unique skillset to escape pressure and advance the ball enough to get the team two touchdowns.
At just 22 years old, Ta’amu could be the face of the league for a long time if the folks at the XFL up their yearly-salary. Ta’amu could easily come in and be a young player maker for the Browns, as he’s quick and big. He has a 4.77 40-yard dash, and at 6’3 and 221 lbs could be enough of a force as a slash type player for the Browns.
He’s also talented enough as a passer to play in the NFL, but as Baker Mayfield is entrenched in the spot for a long time to come, it’s unlikely Ta’amu would start for the team. He’d also not be ideal for the backup spot, as you typically want a veteran with experience in that role. He can easily get on the field and make plays though, as he’s one heck of an athlete. So there’s a lot of upside with keeping an eye on Ta’amu.
St. Louis BattleHawks – LB Terence Garvin
Terence Gavin came out of West Virginia in 2013 as an undrafted rookie and was signed by those no-good Pittsburgh Steelers. After spending a few years there, he went to the Washington Redskins, then to the Seattle Seahawks, before spending time on the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad, and finally the San Francisco 49’ers. Like so many others on these lists, Garvin spent time with the AAF, playing for the Orlando Apollos.
While with the Apollos, he had 24 tackles over the eight games the league played, while registering six pass deflections, three interceptions, one sack, and one forced fumble. His good play transitioned to the XFL where in his first game he had eight tackles, one sack, and two tackles for a loss. He was a constant nightmare for the opposition and became one of the more prominent playmakers on the team.
At 29 years old, however, he’s not a long-term solution. He’s a viable linebacker though and could be a decent back up for the team, and an occasional spot-starter for the Browns. By no means is he capable of being a game-changer but maybe he can help the run defense shore up some holes on the second team. A player with his nose to the ball like he has would also be super useful on special teams. If he can pursue the ball from any spot on the field like he can from behind burly linemen, then maybe Garvin could have a second life in the NFL.
Here’s hoping he continues this pace of play throughout the ten-game regular season.
St. Louis BattleHawks – S Dexter McCoil
Every team needs championship credentials, and Dexter McCoil has that. As a member of the Canadian Football League, McCoil was a 2014 All-Star, a ’14 and ’15 CFL West All-Star, while earning a Grey Cup win in 2015 all with the Edmonton Eskimos. After his time in the CFL, McCoil caught on with the Los Angeles Chargers and spent a few years with the San Francisco 49ers and Chargers practices squads before going back to the CFL in 2019 as a member of the Calgary Stampeders.
Undrafted out of Tulsa, McCoil is a big safety. He’s 6’4 and 220 pounds, while wicked fast at 4.52 over the 40-yard dash. Being so big and physical, he’s many teams dream secondary player. The Browns are in need of guy of McCoil’s size and speed, but at 29 years old, and having played all over the continent, you’re not looking at him as a long term solution. He’s one of the most consistent players in the XFL however, and if he can maintain his health and his skills over the ten games, he could very well find himself an NFL starter by training camp.
Against the Renegades, McCoil had eight tackles, a sack, and a tackle-for-a-loss, showing his playmaking abilities from deep in the secondary. He’s someone who can make an imidate impact on just about any team if given a shot and of all the players profiled over the opening week, McCoil might just be the most reliable for an NFL team to gamble on.
Like with all of these players though, staying healthy and being consistent is necessary to even be considered to land on the Browns roster.