XFALpha Podcast Notes - Episode 7

This week we talk about the big nasty offensive lineman. I know that might be overwhelming for some so we at least start with the glamorous side of the offensive line, offensive tackles. You can see all of my rankings below. Before that, we briefly discuss the supplemental draft where Jonah is slightly more excited than I am, but hey, it gives us even more players to break down.

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1. Los Angeles Wildcats
1. Storm Norton 6’8” and All-MAC at left tackle for Toledo. He’s been right on the fringes of making rosters in the NFL and actually did get some playing time in one game for the Vikings last year. Heads up, on November 5, he tweeted that it’s officially chapstick season so he’s clearly in the pocket of BIG CHAPSTICK. 
2. Ryan Pope - Maybe the only XFL player that both Jonah and I have talked to before. Tackle out of San Diego State who had a nice showing at the East-West Shrine Game. 
3. Jaelin Robinson - Played tackle and guard for Temple but dabbled as a blocking tight end early in his career. 
4. Lene Maiava - Arizona lineman who only became a full-time starter his senior year. Probably not related to The Rock, but maybe.
5. Tyler Roemer - Probably my pick for best lineman in the league. He started every game for San Diego State as a freshman and sophomore until late in the year when he was booted off the team. Since he had redshirted, he had put in his three years and left for the draft, and it must not have been a terrible thing that he did as he was able to attend San Diego State’s pro day. He was named a Freshman All-American after his first year so he was not just starting but was a valuable member of the team. He was unable to make the Raiders as an undrafted free agent, but considering that he is only 21-years-old, you’ve got to love the upside with him. UPDATE: I found out he got kicked off the team for allegedly emotionally and physically abusing a woman so that's really bad, and although he might be a good offensive lineman, he might also be a bad person.
6. Anthony Morris - Tennessee State product that got selected by the Raiders in the seventh round of the 2015 draft. Never made an active roster but did play in Canada and the Alliance.
7. Damian Prince - Played tackle for Maryland. Is not the pro wrestler Damian Priest, nor is he YouTube celebrity, Damien Prince Jr. He did say that if he ran into someone who had never heard rap music, he would play them Many Men by 50 Cent which is an objectively terrible choice. 
2. Dallas Renegades
1. Willie Beavers - Product of Western Michigan before becoming a fourth round pick by the Vikings where he played two games for Minnesota and has bounced around practice squads since then with no regular season action.
2. Pace Murphy - This guy is the worst. He wears bowties, and his Dad was a republican in the Texas house of representatives. You can be forgiven for one of those but not both. He played two games with the Rams in 2016.
3. Darius James - Played for Texas before transferring to Auburn and starting two years for the Tigers. He is not the author that also goes by Dr. Snakeskin.
4. Adam Bisnowaty - Four-year starter at Pitt and was first-team All-ACC his last two years there. He was a fifth round pick by the Giants in 2017 and started one game for them that year. He’s Jewish, and his grandmother survived the Holocaust by hiding out in the woods in Poland. If you think that’s nice, he also wears the number 69. His twitter handle is The_Biz_Show so he may only be joining the XFL to meet wrestlers.
5. Justin Evans - Tackle for South Carolina State.
6. Patrick Lawrence - Offensive lineman for Baylor.
3. New York Guardians
1. Jarron Jones - A defensive tackle who had 11 tackles for loss during his senior year at Notre Dame in 2016. He’s made the switch to offensive line, and he has a great frame at 6’6” with long arms. It’s been a few years since he’s played real competitive football, but he could have one of the higher ceilings due to his inexperience at the position. According to Twitter, he’s also working for a private jet company. 
2. Cyrus Kouandjio - Top high school prospect that almost went to Iowa before committing to Alabama, weird. Outside of an injury towards the end of his Freshman season, he started every game during his three-year career at Alabama. He pancaked Notre Dame in a National Title game, and was All-SEC First Team his final year. Drafted in the second round by the Bills in 2014, he’s bounced around the league without finding a home and did not make a roster for the 2019 season. It’s just never come together for him. He’s always been talented but time is ticking for him to actually put it together. 
3. Brian Fineangafano - Idaho State Offensive Tackle. 
4. John Kling - Offensive Tackle out of Buffalo. He bounced around some rosters but got cut before the 2018 season and has not had an NFL sniff since. He can squat 600 pounds and lifts while wearing his glasses. 
5. Nate Theaker - Wayne State product that has bounced around the league without making an active roster since 2017. Was voted GLIAC Offensive Lineman of the Year in his final season.
6. Adrian Bellard - Texas State lineman who failed to make the Bears roster.
7. Thomas Doles - Northwestern grad who was also a team captain his senior year. Plays the tuba.
4. St. Louis Battlehawks
1. Matt McCants - UAB Tackle that was first-team Conference USA. He was drafted in the sixth round by the Giants. He played in quite a few games with the Raiders over four years, starting three of them and also played two games for the Bears but has not seen action since the 2016 season. He plays the tuba. 
2. Kent Perkins - Texas player who played one game for the Bengals before retiring from football in August. He came back two months later for the XFL Draft when he saw the superior league needed some talent. 
3. Andrew McDonald - Indiana lineman who signed with the Dolphins after the draft in 2012. He did not get any game action until 2014 when he played two games for the Seahawks but has not been with an NFL team since 2016. He survived testicular cancer, and even more terrifying, bullying from Richie Incognito during his time with the Dolphins, so it’s impressive he didn’t go nuts.
4. Bruno Reagan - I like Reagan quite a bit as he started his final three seasons at Vanderbilt and was once named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week. Before that, he was a high school state wrestling champion, and I’m a sucker for guys with wrestling backgrounds. He also won a Junior National Championship in Judo and is thinking about an Olympic run. Jonah, you’ll be happy to know that both of his parents were college athletes at Austin Peay, and his Mom is in the Hall of Fame for her volleyball prowess. On top of that, the man actually has a personality on Twitter, has a blog, and a podcast. HE’S JUST LIKE US, which makes him my favorite offensive lineman in the league.
5. Houston Roughnecks
1. Cornelius Edison - I went off how they were marked on the team’s rosters even though all indications are that Edison is more of a Center than a tackle. He played in six games as a backup for the Bears in 2016 and was most recently with the Vikings. He frequently retweets Joel Osteen, famous megachurch scammer.
2. Terry Poole - San Diego State lineman who was a fourth round pick by the Seahawks in 2015 after testing very well at the combine. Failed a physical in 2017 and has not been with an NFL team since. 
3. Avery Gennesy - Guard out of Texas A+M. Was terrible at the combine.
4. Gerhard de Beer - South African who played tackle at Arizona. He was with the Packers during the preseason but failed to make the team despite him likely having the best selling jersey in Green Bay history.
5. Marcus Applefield - Rutgers tackle that grad transferred to Virginia. He did not make the Ravens roster but can walk on his hands.
6. Tayo Fabuluje - Nigerian who played for the TCU Horned Frogs and was an All Big-12 selection. He was a sixth round pick by the Bears where he played in four games but failed to make a roster in the Alliance this past year so I’m leaning towards his football career being over.
7. Nick Callender - Colorado State product that is anti-racist, just like us.
8. Leon Johnson - Temple offensive tackle where his first name is actually Hubert, but goes by his middle name Leon.
9. Avery Jordan - New Mexico offensive lineman who is the younger brother of DeAndre Jordan. He played nine games for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last year but came in this year too light for teams to feel comfortable with him on the line. He tweeted out the city Houston like a half dozen times before he was even drafted, so he may have had inside information on the draft.
10. Kamalie Matthews - Murray State lineman. 
11. Kevin Palmer - Baylor lineman who has spent the last four years playing up in Canada.
6. DC Defenders
1. Kyle Murphy - Was one of the best offensive line high school prospects before committing to play at Stanford where he was All Pac-12 his final year. Was drafted by the Packers in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He played three games in both 2016 and 2017 for the Packers before bouncing around practice squads. Most recently, the Texans signed him one day after the XFL Draft so his XFL career is currently up in the air.
2. Logan Tuley-Tillman - UTEP Lineman who founded a nonprofit called Failure’s Never Final. 
3. De’Ondre Wesley - BYU Lineman who signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent and played in six games for them in 2015 but has bounced around rosters since then. 
4. Toby Weathersby - LSU player who once challenged fans to “Box it out” with him, but he could have just wanted to have good fundamental rebounding drills. He left school early and went undrafted and did not make the Eagles or Patriots roster before joining the Alliance and now the XFL.
5. Casey Tucker - Five-star guy who went to Stanford before going to Arizona State as a grad transfer. 
6. Cole Boozer - Lineman for Temple. He liked The Joker movie.
7. Randall Harris - Played for Towson, is not a famous wakeboarder.
8. Trae Moxley - Colorado State product that does not appear to be related to AEW Superstar, Jon Moxley. 
7. Seattle Dragons
1. Isaiah Battle - Played at Clemson and was a fifth round pick by the Rams in the supplemental NFL Draft after committing his third and final strike for the Tigers. He’s never gotten any playing time, but he has bounced around teams all the way up until May this year so he’s remained on the fringes.
2. Quinterrius Eatmon - Started all four years at South Florida and played a couple games in the CFL in 2017. 
3. Michael Dunn - Maryland lineman. 
4. Jordan Rose - Idaho Vandal, so Jonah is going to love him way more than he deserves.
5. Craig McCorkle - Played at California University of Pennsylvania which is located in Pennsylvania. His Instagram account is set to private.
6. Brandon Haskin - Tennessee State product that played for the Iowa Barnstormers in the Arena League. According to his Twitter account, he occasionally stays up too late.
7. Na’ty Rodgers - Houston lineman that was born in Seattle.
8. Tampa Vipers
1. Martez Ivey - High school stud who went to Florida and played left tackle but was unable to make the Patriots as an undrafted free agent.
2. Christian Morris - Ole Miss offensive tackle. 
3. Miguel Machado - Michigan State offensive lineman.