XFAlpha Podcast Notes - Episode 1

Jonah and I have started a podcast that takes a deep dive into the XFL, fittingly called the XFAlpha Podcast. You can follow along with everything XFAlpha @XFAlphaPod on twitter or email us at xfalphapod@gmail.com. The audio for the first episode is not the greatest, but the content makes up for it. Spoiler alert, we did get the audio fixed for future episodes. I'll be posting my raw show notes for each episode here, but make sure that you download the episode, and rate and review us if possible.

DOWNLOAD THE EPISODE HERE

The XFL Draft was such a disappointment, because it was just an awful viewing experience. Vince McMahon doesn’t know anything about football, but he does know about showmanship, and it was so cheap looking that 

They took a damn lunch break.

The big issue is that they could have given an inside look. 

I would have liked to see them have a draft, but then do an inside the draft process where they highlight discussions in the individual draft rooms so you get an idea of what they are thinking. It was such a missed opportunity.

Also, line up some player interviews. They are all about building personalities, so let these guys talk. 

1. DC Defenders - Cardale Jones and Tyree Jackson
1. Cardale Jones didn’t come to play school. He came to play football. And he led Ohio State to a National Championship. He has a big arm and is fairly accurate so there’s a lot to like about him. 
2. Tyree Jackson is legit. Big arm, threw some beautiful deep balls. I didn’t think he looked that athletic on the field, but he did test out ridiculously well. Shocked he couldn’t make a roster.
2. Tampa Vipers - Aaron Murray and Taylor Cornelius
1. He’s from a family of winners as his brother won The Bachelorette. He was a four-year starter at Georgia but just never had an impressive enough arm to actually make anything happen at the next level. 
2. Taylor Cornelius was a guy that I saw over the week at the East-West Shrine Game last year, and I thought he was the most impressive quarterback there. Now, it wasn’t the stiffest competition, but I thought he had some good tools and a nice arm, so he’s my pick to be starting for this team. He also played his biggest in big games as he balled out against Oklahoma and West Virginia, coming close to two upsets, but still getting one done against the Mountaineers.
3. Vincent Testaverde
3. New York Guardians - Matt McGloin and Marquise Williams
1. Matt McGloin is an overachiever who went from walk on to starting quarterback for Penn State and then went undrafted to starting six games for the Raiders. Now he was bestowed as one of the Great 8, so I’m guessing that he is a disappointment in his first opportunity where he is not seen as an underdog. 
2. Stopped Trubisky from starting earlier in his career. He did fairly well in relief for San Antonio of the AAF, but unless they run the option, he probably won’t beat out McGloin.
3. Garrett Fugate
4. Houston Roughnecks - Phillip Walker and Connor Cook
1. Walker played under Matt Rhule at Temple, so definitely some good coaching before sticking around the practice squad of the Colts. Interceptions were an issue.
2. Connor Cook just seems like a turd. I will admit that I have an unnatural hatred for Michigan State quarterbacks. I mean, I don’t hate Cousins, but I feel like the guy has been shoved down my throat because one time he said YOU LIKE THAT. But I just remembered Cook started a playoff game. Not sure if you remember, but it did not go well.
5. Dallas Renegades - Landry Jones and Philip Nelson
1. Landry Jones started four years for a super talented Oklahoma team, but the guy just never got better and continually threw too many interceptions. He actually started five games in the NFL, and the best thing he has going for him is his old college coach, Bob Stoops, bringing him aboard.
2. Philip Nelson gave a teammate brain damage, so not exactly a guy I’m going to be rooting for.
6. Los Angeles Wildcats - Luis Perez 
1. Luis Perez, after dominating Southwestern College, could no longer be overlooked by his dream school of Texas A+M....Commerce. He hit 70% of his throws and throwing for over 5,000 yards while leading his team to a National Title and winning the Heisman of Division 2, the Harlon Hill Trophy. His time with the Birmingham Iron left a little to be desired as he had more picks than TDs and barely completed 50% of his passes.
7. Seattle Dragons - Brandon Silvers and Joe Callahan
1. Silvers was nearly an AAF hero and completed 64% of his passes in that league which is a fairly good sign of how he might perform. Same percentage he had while throwing for over 10,000 yards at Troy.  Still, he wasn’t good enough to make a training camp even after that performance which shows he probably doesn’t have that high of a ceiling. 
2. Joe Callahan was 5-7 for 11 yards in an actual NFL game. That’s not great, but he did play in an NFL game. He’s had seven stints in the NFL, including the Packers twice. There’s a good chance Aaron Rodgers forced him out. 
8. St. Louis Battlehawks - Jordan Ta’amu and Brogan Roback
1. Jordan Ta’amu wasn’t good enough to beat out Shea Patterson and as someone who has watched more Michigan than I would like to admit, that is not a great sign. There’s just nothing that stands out about Ta’amu, so I can’t really add much more than that.
2. Brogan Roback is benefiting greatly from being on Hard Knocks. Good for him. He has a better chance of making it as a punter which he did some at Eastern Michigan than he does as a quarterback. 

The Chicago Bears Perfect 2019 NFL Draft

Projecting a team's draft picks is a fool's errand. It's impossible to know who a team will take, because I have no idea who will even be there when it is their chance to draft. Although I am trying to be realistic in who will be available for the Bears in this process, there is a chance that some of these guys are gone two, possibly even three rounds earlier than where I am projecting. And this is especially tough when projecting Bears draft picks as they do not have a first or second round pick, so I am only looking at the deepest, darkest parts of the NFL draft. And since the Bears do not have many picks, I'll also point out some guys I would like them to sign as undrafted free agents as well.

Round 3, 87th Overall: Amani Hooker, Safety, Iowa
I limited myself to one Iowa Hawkeye, but man, this is one that I feel very passionate about. I'm not sure if Hooker lasts this long, but if the Bears traded all of their picks to ensure they got Hooker, I would call this draft a massive victory. I have already waxed poetically about the Hawkeye safety, but in short, he's a versatile defender that could play safety or as your nickel back, can defend pass and run, and just always seems to be in the right spot at the right time to make a big play. The one concern about him (and nearly all Iowa players in general) is what kind of athlete he is, but he put those concerns to rest with a very impressive combine performance.
Outside of having T-Rex arms, everything else was incredibly impressive. He was named the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year, and it's crazy that he could fall this far, but judging by where he is ranked by most "experts" this is a reasonable range for him to get drafted. I might cry tears of joy if the Bears end up with him.

Round 4, 126th Overall: Austin Bryant, Defensive End, Clemson
Little known fact, Clemson actually started four defensive linemen this season. I know Clelin Ferrell, Dexter Lawrence, and Christian Wilkins get all of the love since they are likely first round picks, but Austin Bryant was no slouch. The guy had 17 sacks with 30.5 tackles for loss in his last two years with the Tigers, and he might have had more if he didn't need to constantly race his teammates to the quarterback. You can make the argument that he benefitted from not facing double teams, but he'll have the same luxury with the Bears as Akiem Hicks and Khalil Mack will be getting most of the offense's attention. If he slips this far, it would be a great addition to the Bears depth at defensive line. Also, I totally wanted to put Anthony Nelson here, but I promised myself I could only pick one Hawkeye.

Round 5, 162nd Overall: Ross Pierschbacher, Center, Alabama
Since Pierschbacher is a native Iowan, I did a deeper dive on him here. He started all four years at Alabama, starting at left guard and taking over at center for his senior year. To start at Alabama for four years with how proficient their offenses were would make me think that he'd be a day two pick, but I have seen a lot of mocks with him more falling in the 4th-5th round range, and if that's the case, the Bears would be stupid not to pounce on him to give them a strong backup for the interior offensive line, especially with Kyle Long's injury history. i will say that I saw more impressive play from him as a guard than after he transitioned to the center position, so I see him as a good guard but maybe just an average center prospect. Common sense says he shouldn't be here for the Bears, but common sense isn't exactly what NFL teams are known for.

Round 7, 222nd Overall: Jalin Moore, Running Back, Appalachian State
Not sure if you have heard, but you can find a decent running back later on in the draft. I feel like this year, it's Josh Jacobs, and everybody else. What order guys will fall is a complete mystery. Because of an injury, I would say Moore has a better chance to fall than most, but even I can admit that this seems like a fairly aggressive drop for his talent. Plus, even with his injury, he put up 27 bench press reps at the combine. Does benching help running backs? Not at all, but it impresses other dudes in the gym, and isn't that what's most important? In real talk, he was always productive when he was on the field, but his senior year was cut short after fracturing and dislocating his ankle on a touchdown run. I will say that I'm not sure if it's the ideal fit for Nagy's offense as the most catches he had in a year was 12, but that may have been by the Appalachian State design, or he may have trouble with his hands. Worst case is he can bench press like 1000 footballs.

Round 7, 238th Overall: Terry Godwin, Wide Receiver, Georgia
I have an affinity for five-star recruits out of high school. Godwin didn't light it up in college, but he still had a productive college career with a Georgia offense that would far prefer to run than pass. Also, with his smaller stature, he was never going to be the number one guy. I think he projects as a great option in the slot as he has great quickness and has the hands to catch balls in traffic. He is great for receiver depth and could also be an option as a return man.

Undrafted Free Agent Targets
Mathieu Betts, Edge, Laval
Oh, you don't know about the football powerhouse that is Laval? Apparently, you're just not that into the pigskin, because they are ten time Vanier Cup Champions, including a perfect season this past year, led by their defensive ace, Mathieu Betts. This guy is hands down the best Canadian prospect in the draft, and although his most likely destination is practice squad, there is enough raw talent to at least invite him to camp.

Jordan Brailford, Edge, Oklahoma State
Probably the least likely guy to be available, but he definitely has the talent to be a situational pass rusher where he could help out the Bears. I've seen him projected in the 5-7th round range, but considering that he ran a 4.65 and broad jumped 10.5 feet, I could see somebody taking a chance on that athleticism early.

Taylor Cornelius, Quarterback, Oklahoma State
Out of the six quarterbacks I saw when I worked with the East-West Shrine Game, I was most impressed with Cornelius. I don't think he's going to set the world on fire, but he could be a serviceable backup in the right offense.

Keelan Doss, Wide Receiver, UC Davis
Doss played at a small school and put up big numbers. Unfortunately, he got hurt at the combine, so that will knock his draft stock down a bit. I think it's likely somebody takes him in a late round, but if he's available, it'd be a great addition for the Bears.

Matt Gay, Kicker, Utah
He's a kicker; that makes him a great addition for the Bears. He's also 232 pounds, so that's pretty cool too.

Jimmy Moreland, Cornerback, James Madison
Moreland showed flashes at the Shrine Game, but what really stood out to me is how much the coaches (and even special guest Aeneas Williams) were trying to coach him up and getting on him for mistakes. It was clear that they saw a lot of potential in him, and I don't think it's a high ceiling, but he could be a serviceable player in the slot.

Matt Nelson, Defensive Lineman, Iowa
Hey, I could only project one player to be drafted by the Bears, but I might as well have them sign one as a free agent. Nelson played out of position as a defensive tackle at Iowa, but at 6'8", 295 pounds, he's perfectly built to be a stout defender as a 3-4 defensive end. I think he can set the edge, bat down passes, and occasionally get to the quarterback, but he was not put in the best position to succeed due to team need at Iowa. He'd be a great addition to provide additional depth along the defensive line.