In the first-ever XFL game this year, the broadcasting team made the comment that a lot of players were the ones that would fall somewhere between players No. 40-53 on NFL rosters. And that seems to be the case for many of those playing in the new XFL – they’re putting tape out there to potentially find a way to an NFL roster.
So who on the offensive side of the ball should Arizona consider inviting to their camp and maybe even consider signing? Here are six possibilities:
Houston Roughnecks QB P.J. Walker
The smaller Walker would seem to be a good fit as a backup quarterback in the system like Arizona’s. He has the arm strength and agility as shown in his team’s first game, a 37-17 win over the LA Wildcats.
Walker finished as the second leading rusher as well as throwing for 272 yards and four touchdowns, including a beautiful 50-yard strike.
D.C. Defenders WR Eli Rogers
Rogers spent several years with the Pittsburgh Steelers but failed to make an impact due to having targets taken away by Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. However, he was QB Cardale Jones’ go-to receiver for the Defenders with 6 catches for 73 yards in their win over Seattle.
He likely will get another look in the NFL, so why not with the Cardinals?
New York Guardians TE Jake Powell
Powell showed early on in Week 1 that he could potentially fit in an offense like Arizona’s, usually spreading out as a wideout and showing some route-running chops.
Arizona have used the tight end more and more throughout the year, so it would not be surprising to see them keep four this season. It might be worth it to look at the Monmouth product, who finished with four catches for 28 yards.
Dallas Renegades TE Donald Parham
Parham was a notable athletic freak when coming out of Stetson last year. At 6-foot-8, he’s more like a move tight end similar to how Arizona used Dan Arnold at the end of last season.
Dallas will be one to watch this XFL season, as Hal Mumme, inventor of the Air Raid, is their offensive coordinator – so if Arizona looks at any offensive players, Dallas might be a good start. Parham looked good in his first action with four catches for 40 yards.
Dallas Renegades RB Lance Dunbar
Dunbar is a name that should be familiar with some NFL fans, as he played for the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys for a few seasons as well as the LA Rams.
In his first action, he led the aforementioned Air Raid Renegades in rushing with 27 yards, and also caught 6 passes for 29 yards. It will be interesting to see if he finds his way back on to the back end of an NFL roster come September.
Tampa Bay Vipers WR Dan Williams
It’s only one game, and it’s against non-NFL defenders, but Williams established himself as a good boundary receiver already after one week, despite his team’s ugly loss to New York.
Williams, a Jackson State alum, had six catches for 123 yards, good enough for the league lead after one week.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.
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