The XFL shutting down left a large sum of employees jobless. Until today, Dravon Askew-Henry was one of those left jobless by the XFL’s bankruptcy. Now, the 24-year-old defensive back from West Virginia University is signing with the New York Giants.
Dravon Askew-Henry Stats And Highlights
Dravon Askew-Henry, a former New York Guardian, is being added to the Giants’ youthful secondary. New York has invested plenty of assets and draft capital into their secondary in recent years. Askew-Henry is the latest addition.
With the sports world being halted by the world pandemic coronavirus, NFL teams are unable to administer medical tests to free agents. So even though the Giants and Askew-Henry have come to an agreement, the transaction is contingent upon Askew-Henry passing a physical when travel restrictions are lifted.
Dravon Askew-Henry played in four games for the New York Guardians this season. In those games, he totaled 12 combined tackles. Askew-Henry stands in at 5-11 and weighs 187 pounds. This will not be Dravon’s first stint with an NFL team.
Askew-Henry went undrafted in 2019, despite impressive performance at the collegiate level. With West Virginia, Dravon started 51 games in four seasons, totaling 215 tackles, 6 interceptions, and 10 passes defended. Dravon Askew-Henry was later signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent.
Now, a year later, Dravon has signed with the New York Giants. He will be brought in as a solid depth piece in the secondary. He is a safety but could potentially slide in at slot cornerback, one of New York’s weakest positions. This is a quality, out-of-the-box signing by Dave Gettleman and the Giants. Dravon Askew-Henry is a low risk, high reward player that could compete for a starting role on the defense.
The XFL New York Guardians had a lot of ups and down in their five games played in the 2020 season. They had a mix of good and bad players during the season, which impacted the outcome of the games they played. Here are the top 5 Guardians’ players this season that made a positive impact:
5. RB Darius Victor
Victor, at first, struggled to get the Guardians running game going, as he rushed merely under 50 yards the first two games. In the next three games, he boosted the backfield as the lead running back and helped the running game achieve over 100 yards per game. Victor finished the season fifth in the league in rushing yards with 238. Although he never scored a touchdown, his boost at the end of the season will be something the Guardians and their fans will look forward to next season.
4. K Matt McCrane
This man was not recognized well enough for what he did on the field for the Guardians. When the offense (most of the time under Matt McGloin) struggled to get to the end zone, McKrane saved their bottoms and put three points through the goal post. His field goal made the difference in the game vs. the LA Wildcats. He was 8 for 8 with field goals on the season, which was 5th in the league. If this were the NFL, he would have likely made a Pro Bowl.
3. WR Colby Pearson
Colby Pearson was ultimately the number one target for the Guardians last season. Most people expected Mekale McKay to be the number one target, knowing how successful he was in the AAF with the San Antonio Commanders. However, many would say McKay underachieved and Pearson took the spotlight.
Pearson caught 16 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns. One of them was the remarkable 80-yard pass from Luis Perez against the Renegades that likely sealed the game. With more games next season, it will be interesting to see if Pearson could thrive more as the Guardians’ number one target.
2. QB Luis Perez
Before taking over for the Guardians in Week 3 for the injured Matt McGloin, we knew what Luis Perez was capable of outside of the NFL. Perez did well for the Birmingham Iron of the AAF before the league disbanded in April of 2019. The offense seemed to be bland when McGloin was the quarterback and the offense struggled to put points up on the board. With McGloin starting the team went 1-2.
Once Perez started Week 4, Guardians’ fans had playoff hopes again, as Perez would lead the team to two more wins before the close of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic. Perez in three games (two started) tossed three touchdowns, 418 yards, one interception and finished 6th in completion percentage (62%) in the league. If the league would have gone on, it was best to say that Perez would have been the starter through the remainder of the season.
1. DT Cavon Walker
This player had a major role in Jim Hermann’s defense and is arguably the team’s best player from 2020. The team’s secondary drowned in a lot of games, giving up most of the yards in the passing game. But when the secondary covered well, you often saw Cavon Walker force pressure or get a sack. Walker led the league at the end of five games with 4.5 sacks. Unfortunately, the Guardians won’t see him next season, as he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers a couple of weeks ago.
Alex is on Instagram (@alexgajovich) and Twitter (@AlexProtich)
After the agreement was made that the NFL players could sign XFL players, many players signed with the NFL teams. Those including Roughnecks quarterback Philip Walker, Guardians defensive back Dravon Askew-Henry and Battlehawks quarterback Jordan Ta’amu.
97% of the XFL are former NFL players. The teams who lost the players will need to fill up their rosters for next season.
Here are some names that might interest the XFL Guardians into for 2021:
DT Robert Thomas
The Giants certainly surprised a portion of fans when they let Robert Thomas go in the summer of 2018. Thomas had a quiet but productive preseason in 2018. He is best known for tossing Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield to the ground in a preseason game vs Cleveland. Other than that, Thomas had spouts of pressure within his career.
Former Guardians sack leader defensive tackle Cavon Walker left the XFL to join the Pittsburgh Steelers on March 25. The Guardians will somehow have to replace his production and Thomas could be a candidate.
They both have a motor type rush that can get them to the quarterback. Thomas’ s NFL career was not something that worked out, but the XFL has welcomed players who are trying to resurface their football careers. And Robert Thomas is one of them.
OT Adam Bisnowaty
The former New York Giants 7th round pick has never had a real shot at being a starter or being on a 53 man roster for more than a week. Bisnowaty was a Giants 7th round pick by Jerry Reese. The former Panther only started one game in the NFL. Pro Football Focus gave him a 62.3 overall grade, which is better than a quarter of the starting linemen in the NFL. Months after Dave Gettleman was hired, Bisnowaty was gone before training camp.
After that Bisnowaty bounced around teams and even got drafted by the Dallas Renegades, but was released days later.
The good thing about Bisnowaty is he is alike to Giants’ lineman Nick Gates. That would be for the fact he can be turned inside at guard. That was an unfinished experiment with Bisnowaty conducted by former offensive line coach Mike Solari.
This should be a solid consideration for New York next year. Even if Bisnowaty does not become a starter, he is a solid guy to turn inside as a guard, so that way he is more versatile as a swing lineman.
RB Trent Richardson
If the Guardians do not consider Ware, they should consider Richardson.
Trent Richardson is a former Cleveland Browns 1st round bust from 2012. After his 2012 season, where he was 50 yards away from 1,000, his play grew inconsistent. After being traded to the Colts in 2013, he had to resurface his career. Through his years in Indy, he fell behind veteran runningbacks, Donald Brown and Ahmad Bradshaw.
After bouncing around to even the Canadian Football League, he found a home in Birmingham with the Irons of the AAF. In 8 games with the Irons, he totaled 366 yards on 125 carries (2.5 YPC). Unfortunately, the AAF folded in April of 2019.
Richardson proved he could not get it done in the NFL, but could in football leagues outside the NFL (CFL & AAF). Richardson would be a good lead rusher for jumpstarting the Guardians’ offense and getting by opponents.
The New York Guardians were something to watch during the new XFL’s first season. Unfortunately, the season was cut short due to the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. Their final record was 3-2. In conclusion, there are some things the Guardians need to improve on going into 2021:
Stopping the Run
One of the many weaknesses on the Guardians’ defense was stopping the run. At the end of the season, the Guardians ironically graded out as the 2nd best run defense in the XFL. The run-stopping was not consistent. In Weeks 1-3, the Guardians gave up an average of 138 rushing yards per game. That was last in the XFL. However, during the stretch of Weeks 4-5, their defense allowed 48 rushing yards per game, which were 1st in the XFL. That is one less game, but there is definite improvement during that stretch. The stats below will show.
Rushing Yards Allowed (Weeks 1-5)
Week 1 vs. Vipers: 150
Week 2 vs. Defenders: 108
Week 3 vs. Battlehawks: 156
Week 4 vs. Wildcats: 40
Week 5 vs. Renegades: 56
This is one of the areas the Guardians will need to improve on next year consistently. Though, the last two weeks are a positive note to take into 2021.
More Passing Yards
The passing game was another thing that was a weakness in the beginning. Like stopping the run, the passing game was inconsistent. Here are the passing yards from each week this season for the Guardians:
Rushing Yards (Weeks 1-5)
Week 1 vs. Vipers: 182
Week 2 vs. Defenders: 66
Week 3 vs. Battlehawks: 195
Week 4 vs. Wildcats: 128
Week 5 vs. Renegades: 229
A lot of fans believe this was mostly due to Matt McGloin being the starter. In the first two weeks, there was a raw feeling to the offense. That would be considering Matt McGloin only had one touchdown and completed 52% of his passes. Week 2’s blowout made it worse when McGloin threw two interceptions and completed under 50% of his passes. Mind you, this is not the NFL, but a 44% completion is not good at all. He got hurt the next week.
The offense saw a boost when Luis Perez replaced him vs. the Wildcats in Week 4. The passing yards may have decreased, but the Guardians blew fewer opportunities. Against the Renegades, the Guardians passed for a season-high 229 yards.
Luis Perez is clearly the answer at quarterback for the future of the Guardians’ offense. The improvement later in the year shows promise for 2021.
Allow less total yards
Allowing total yards was a problem on the defense in 2020. The defense ranked 6th in the league in yards allowed per game with 329.2. But whether it was the opposing running game or passing offense that gave them trouble, the total yards were above 300, three of the five weeks. Here is the number of total yards allowed each week:
Total Yards Allowed (Weeks 1-5):
Week 1 vs. Vipers: 394
Week 2 vs. Defenders: 372
Week 3 vs. Battlehawks: 273
Week 4 vs. Wildcats: 345
Week 5 vs. Renegades: 260
The Guardians were one of the better playmakers in 2020. That means tackles at the line, interceptions, fumble recoveries and sacks. Unfortunately, that never made much of an impact on how many total yards they allowed. That gives a feeling to the opponent that even if the defense makes a play, they can still rebound from it.
Alex is on Twitter @AlexProtich and Instagram @alexgajovich
As NFL free agency begins, several members of the New York Guardians can be potentially called upon to fill in crucial gaps and needs.
The New York Guardians’ season is over, but several members can live on with newfound opportunities in the NFL. Free agency is underway in the league and the XFL’s cessation of operations opens the pool to dozens of new names.
New York, tied for first place in the East Division at the time of suspension, features several talented players that could be well on their way to new chances and, in some cases, returns to NFL circuit….
OL Anthony Coyle
The Guardians had some trouble on the offensive line in the early going, but they got things together in part thanks to the efforts of the Staten Island native and Fordham alum. Over the last two weeks of the season, New York put up 266 rushing yards. Coyle’s efforts were rewarded by a nomination to the XFL’s midseason team.
LB Ben Heeney
Heeney had one of the most inspirational stories in the XFL, returning to the gridiron after his strong career at Kansas was interrupted by his involvement in a car accident and later the suicide of his best friends. After a few years with the Raiders, Heeney joined up with the Guardians and became one of their most vocal leaders. The linebacker had team captaincy honors by the time everything was finished and complimented his status with a team-best 30 tackles.
K Matthew McCrane
Not only was McCrane perfect (8-for-8) during his XFL showing, but he was also able to hit it from deep as well. Five of his eight conversions came from at least 40 yards out, including two from at least 50. McCrane previously served as the leg for the Oakland Raiders, so an NFL return, especially to a league that’s so hungry for kickers, is definitely in the cards.
WR Mekale McKay
Is McKay cursed? Considering his last two endeavors came in the extinct Alliance of American Football and the suspended XFL, it’s certainly possible. But McKay can certainly make way back to the NFL after making several big plays at New York’s XFL level. He bounced around several NFL camps (most recently the summer of 2018 in Dallas) before the AAF’s San Antonio Commanders came calling.
QB Luis Perez
The Guardians were undefeated in two games with Perez as their starter, and he wound up leading the team in yardage, completion percentage, and touchdown passes. Perez, a Division II football legend, previously spent time in NFL camps but his brief XFL tenure could probably net him a more permanent spot as a backup.
CB Jamar Summers
If the Guardians needed some assistance on defense, Summers seemed to be the one to rise to the occasion. An interception in East Rutherford set up the de facto game-winning field in the team’s final home game, and he opened things up at MetLife Stadium with a fumble returned for a touchdown. The Orange High School (NJ) graduate previously made a name for himself with the Birmingham Iron of the AAF.
RB Darius Victor
An earner of 3,309 yards and scorer of 41 touchdowns at Towson, Victor went unselected in 2017’s draft due to his size (5’8, 209 lbs). He was able to make a name for himself in the latter stages of the XFL season, breaking off several big runs to boost his rushing total. Victor wound up finishing sixth in the XFL in rushing (238 yards) and his average carry (4.3) was good for fifth amongst rushers with at least 40 carries.
DL Cavon Walker
For the time being, Walker is the current sack master of the rebooted XFL, topping the league with 4.5 sacks. For a team in desperate need of a pass rush, Walker could be a perfect solution, perhaps even in his own backyard with the Jets or Giants. He has previously picked up 2.5 sacks over the last two NFL preseasons, including one in last summer’s finale with Kansas City.
The XFL’s inaugural season will likely end prematurely, but a pair of New York Guardians are walking away with league honors.
The XFL revealed its 2020 midseason all-league squad on Thursday. With the announcement that the league no longer expects to play regular-season games (likely in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic), it likely becomes their year-end squad as well.
Two locals appeared on the de facto all-star team’s lineup, one on each side of the ball. Fordham alum and offensive lineman Anthony Coyle was part of the blockers’ guild, while fellow line staple Cavon Walker represented the defenders.
Coyle, a native of Tottenville, Staten Island, was called upon to take a bigger on the Guardians’ front line when several starters went down with injuries. His prowess was on prominent display during the past two games, both New York wins. Behind strong blocking from Coyle and company, Guardians rushers tallied 266 yards in victories over the Los Angeles Wildcats and Dallas Renegades. Prior to his XFL arrival, Coyle earned a pair of All-Patriot League nominations while representing The Bronx.
On the other side of the ball, Walker led a fearsome Guardians pass rush. New York (3-2) stands second in the XFL in sacks (13) at the time of the pause. Walker leads the way, both locally and nationally, with 4.5 sacks, hitting the quarterback nine other times. He came up particularly big for the Guardians in the aforementioned win over Dallas, earning five tackles, including two sacks in what became a one-sided 30-12 victory.
If these are truly the final XFL stats, the Guardians, locked in a three-way tie for the East division’s lead, are well represented in several categories. Darius Victor ranks fifth in the league in rushing (238 yards) while Jarrell Owens and Wes Sutton joined Walker as a trio of eleven players to register at least two sacks. On special teams, Matthew McCrane converted all eight of his field goal attempts (one of two XFL kickers to be perfect on the year).
The Guardians were set to host the undefeated Houston Roughnecks at MetLife Stadium on Saturday afternoon prior to the regular season’s cancellation. Six Roughnecks made the all-XFL squad, led by quarterback PJ Walker (1,338 yards, 15 touchdown passes) and receiver Cam Phillips (455 yards, nine touchdowns).
The New York Guardians added five players to their roster, as XFL ledgers now expand from 52 to 57 players after the midway mark.
The New York Guardians added five players on Tuesday, as XFL rosters expanded from 52 to 57 players. Each of the additions came from “Team 9”, the XFL’s leaguewide farm team.
QB Garrett Fugate Fugate was chosen by the Guardians during the open portion of the XFL Draft last fall. He would go on to spend the preseason with the team after a brief tenure in the CFL in 2018.
LB Darnell Leslie
A Monmouth product, Leslie was likewise taken in the draft’s open portion. In only three seasons, Leslie finished seventh in Hawks history in sacks.
CB DeJuan Neal
Another open draft returnee, Neal starred at Division II Shepherd. He did partake in a single preseason game with the NFL’s Washington Redskins last summer.
WR Dalton Ponchillia
Ponchillia spent his college career at three different schools, earning the most success at East Tennessee State, where he led the team in receiving in 2015.
G Maea Teuhema
Originally ranked as a four-star prospect by ESPN, Teuhema began his college career at LSU. His freshman season of 2014 saw him help pave the way for Leonard Fournette to run for nearly 2,000 yards. 2017 saw him transfer to Southeastern Louisiana. He was invited to the New Orleans Saints’ rookie camp before joining the ill-fated AAF squad in San Antonio. Teuhema was originally chosen in the open draft by the Dallas Renegades but was later waived and spent the rest of the camp period in New York before realigning with Team 9.
The Guardians (3-2) currently entangled in a three-way tie in the XFL’s East division. They return to action on Saturday afternoon at MetLife Stadium against the undefeated Houston Roughnecks (2:00 p.m. ET, ABC).
If this Luis Perez start did not convince you that he is the right New York Guardians quarterback, I don’t know what will.
Luis Perez is now 2-0 in the XFL, as he led the New York Guardians to their second win in a row. Their record is now 3-2 and they could go into 1st place with a Battlehawks loss vs the DC Defenders. The Guardians got their first road win, something they struggled to get in weeks 2 (Defenders) and 3 (Battlehawks).
Offense
Perez had a good start going 16 of 30 for 229 yards with one interception and one touchdown. His completion percentage dipped to 53. But other than that, he could very well lock up the starting job.
Here’s what Guardians head coach Kevin Gilbride had to say about the 25-year-old quarterback: “I think Luis is a guy that the rest of the team both offensively and defensively actually look to him as kind of a calming force,…[They see him] as a guy who is dependable, and if things aren’t going as we hoped, that he’s not going to get rattled or frustrated … and that he will give our team a chance to win.”
That is a convincing statement from Gilbride that Perez will start from now on.
Colby Pearson was Perez’s lead target as he collected 5 receptions for 95 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown. Joe Horn had a disappointing day, not having a single catch in three targets. McKale McKay had three receptions for 67 yards.
Defense
The Guardians defense played their best game played on Saturday as they held Renegades quarterback Philip Nelson to 210 yards. Defensive tackle Toby Johnson and defensive end Ryan Mueller had an interception each off deflections. Mueller took his back to the house for a touchdown. The run defense improved and only allowed 66 rushing yards. They also limited the deep pass, only allowing only 32 yards on the longest pass.
Special Teams
Special Teams was a mixed bag for the Guardians on Saturday. For the second time this season the Guardians allowed a kickoff return touchdown, but this time Austin Walter took it 92 yards. Later on, in the 4th quarter, D’Juan Hines recovered a fumble on a Flynn Nagel punt return. Ironically, the fumble was forced by backup quarterback Marquise Williams. Kicker Matthew McCrane made three field goals Saturday and remains perfect this season.
Result
Luis Perez had one miscue when he threw an interception to Josh Hawkins. A brawl ensued after that when some extra pushing and shoving occurred before the interception between two linemen. Both were ejected. Even after that, the Guardians kept on going and won the game 30-12. The Guardians advance to 3-2, while Renegades falls to 2-3.
After countless matchups with the Cowboys, Gilbride now leads the New York Guardians against the Renegades this Saturday.
New York and Dallas will throw the football around this weekend. Playoff positioning is on the line. The New Yorkers bear initials of “NYG,” while the North Texans are blue with the branding inspired by the Old West.
Did we mention, however, that it’s March and not December?
The New York-Dallas football rivalry opens a new chapter this Saturday. It’s the first XFL-authored entry, as the New York Guardians battle the Dallas Renegades at Globe Life Park in Arlington (5:00 p.m. ET, Fox).
An athletic battle between the Empire and Lone Star states is nothing new. The rare long-distance rivalry is kept alive by the NFL’s Giants and Cowboys meeting twice a year for NFC East divisional proceedings. Dallas leads that ancient set with a mark of 68-47-2.
Kevin Gilbride was on hand for 21 of those matchups. The Guardians’ original head coach served in several offensive positions during Tom Coughlin’s tenure as head coach of the Giants, most notably in the offensive coordinator slot from 2007 through 2013. Contesting the Cowboys was certainly nothing new for Gilbride. A prior coaching stop with the in-state Houston Oilers had him running into the Cowboys at the end of every preseason. His five years in Houston also featured two regular-season matchups against America’s Team.
Gilbride hasn’t been one for nostalgics during his XFL adventure. Still, he made an exception when speaking to ESM on Thursday afternoon after the Guardians’ final practice before departing for Arlington. He had a quick, simple answer for his favorite Texas memory, anecdotally traveling back to the early stages of the 2009 NFL season.
“There are many, but I have to say my favorite one was going down to Dallas when we opened up their stadium, and we beat them,” Gilbride said. “They wouldn’t let us on the star (during the pregame). They had security around it, going through warmups. Then we beat them in a high-scoring game. That was a great one.”
The Giants were the Cowboys’ opponent for their first regular-season game in the palatial Cowboys Stadium (now known as AT&T Stadium) in Arlington, the successor to Texas Stadium in Irving. A back-and-forth Week 2 game went down to the literal final seconds, as Lawrence Tynes converted a 37-yard field goal as time expired to give the Giants a 33-31 victory. Tynes’ memorable make was the final stanza of an 11-play, 56-yard drive to cap things off. Eli Manning shook off an early penalty to account for 62 yards on the trek, part of a 330-yard, two-touchdown output. The Giants’ quarterback commemorated the win by leaving his signature and the final score on the wall of the visitors’ locker room.
Big Blue would go 12-9 under Gilbride’s offensive watch, including an 8-7 tally with him in the coordinator role. That grouping includes the Giants’ 21-17 win the 2008 NFC Divisional Playoff in Arlington, the lone postseason get-together between the rivals.
Gilbride isn’t the only Guardians representative to have a memorable business trip to the metroplex. Quarterback Matt McGloin was previously the starter for the Oakland Raiders when they were the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving opponent in November 2013.
Then an undrafted rookie, McGloin, helped the Raiders build a shocking 21-7 lead before Dallas came back to the tune of 31-24 win. McGloin’s efforts in a moral victory for Oakland (18-of-30, 255 yards, and an interception) were enough to impress ex-Giants quarterback Phil Simms, who called the game for CBS. The Penn State alum was named a finalist for Simms’ All-Iron Award, which he presented annually to the MVP of CBS’ Thanksgiving game. Ironically, current Renegades running back Lance Dunbar shared that season’s edition of the award with Tony Romo and DeMarco Murray.
“Talk about being a rookie, an exciting time, awesome atmosphere, fantastic stage to play on, something you dream about,” McGloin recalled. “We came up short, but it was a great game. We had a chance to win it there in the end, just couldn’t pull it through. But what an experience. Moments like that don’t come around that often in football. What a great time that was.”
The Guardians (2-2) certainly hope they’ll be able to make new football memories to bring back home. A win over the Los Angeles Wildcats last Saturday at MetLife Stadium allowed them to return to the XFL playoff picture, but they’ll have to end their woes on the road to truly build momentum. Visits to Washington DC and St. Louis ended with the Guardians on the wrong end of a combined 56-9 scoring margin.
Conversely, Dallas (2-2) is searching for their first win at Globe Life Park, the converted former home of MLB’s Texas Rangers. The Renegades fell 15-9 to the St. Louis BattleHawks on opening weekend and dropped a narrow 27-20 decision to the undefeated Houston Roughnecks last Sunday. Dallas will be without starting quarterback Landry Jones, who departed last week’s in-state showdown with a knee injury. Former AAF starter Philip Nelson will get the nod in Jones’ place, with ex-Syracuse star Eric Dungey working as the backup.
