XFL

3 NFL Castoffs that the Guardians should look into

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New York Guardians

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.

Two more New York Guardians are headed to the NFL

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New York Guardians linemen from both sides of the ball are getting the call to the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers.

X apparently marks the spot for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The iconic NFL franchise is set to add two members of the New York Guardians to their roster. New York’s XFL squad announced that offensive lineman Jarron Jones and defensive lineman Cavon Walker received the call from the six-time Super Bowl champions on Wednesday.

Walker’s abbreviated XFL season ended with him as the league’s new sack king, leading the league with 4.5 quarterback takedowns. Three of those sacks came over the last two games, both New York victories. Walker previously partook in NFL preseason action during the summers of 2018 (Chicago) and 2019 (Kansas City). He has accumulated 13 tackles and 2.5 sacks over eight exhibition games. The Maryland alum was chosen in the eighth round of the “front seven” portion of the XFL Draft held last fall.

 

Jones’ New York arrival (first-round pick in the offensive line portion of the draft) was a slight homecoming, as the Notre Dame alum spent portions of the 2017 and 2018 preseasons with the New York Giants. He played both sides of the ball at both South Bend and East Rutherford but stuck to offensive duties with the Guardians. Jones was a starter on the New York offensive line, partaking in all five games.

With their debut season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, XFL players have been granted permission to agree to terms with NFL squads, though the players remain under contract with their former team until later this spring. Jones and Walker are the second and third players to agree to NFL terms. Cornerback Dravon Askew-Henry signed with the local Giants earlier this week.

The Guardians were 3-2 and locked in a first-place tie in the XFL’s East Division at the time of the season’s cancellation.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

New York Guardians CB Dravon Askew-Henry headed to the Giants

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New York Giants, Dravon Aksew-Henry

The defender is the first member of the New York Guardians to be picked up by an NFL squad after their season ended early.

Dravon Askew-Henry has found a new team, but the next step of his football journey will require little, if any, packing.

The cornerback became the first member of the XFL’s New York Guardians to get a call from the NFL. According to a report of Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Askew-Henry was picked up by the New York Giants, the Guardians’ MetLife Stadium co-tenants.

The Guardians partook in the abbreviated debut season of the rebooted XFL, which began in February. They finished in a three-way tie for first place in the XFL’s East Division with a 3-2 record. New York won both of their games in East Rutherford and was coached by former Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride.

Askew-Henry partook in four games with the Guardians, earning 12 tackles. The Guardians chose him in the fourth round of the defensive back portion of the 2020 XFL Draft. He mostly filled in as a slot cornerback and can also play in the nickel set.

The defender made a bit of infamous XFL history during the Guardians win over Los Angeles on February 29. After Askew-Henry was called for a penalty, he caught the flag thrown by the nearby official. In disbelief and frustration, he threw the flag back at him, earning an additional 15-yeard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

An alum of West Virginia, Askew-Henry earned six interceptions over four seasons in Morgantown. He notably earned two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, in a 2014 win over Oklahoma State in his freshman season. Askew-Henry appeared in 51 games for the Mountaineers, a program record.

This will mark Askew-Henry’s second endeavor in the NFL. He went undrafted in the 2019 selection proceedings, but partook in four preseason games with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He would tally eight tackles and one pass defense in that summer span.

In another New York football connection, Askew-Henry is the cousin of renowned former New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis.

The XFL suspended play on March 12 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and officially ended its season last week. Players have been allowed to sign with NFL and CFL squads since Monday morning and Askew-Henry is one of several notable names to be scooped up. The league’s top quarterback, PJ Walker of the undefeated Houston Roughnecks, was added by the Carolina Panthers. Fellow thrower Jordan Ta’amu of the St. Louis BattleHawks was signed by the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

 

XFL Guardians: Some Improvements to make for next year

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New York Guardians

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

5 XFL Prospects the New York Jets should keep an eye on

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New York Jets, New York Guardians, Anthony Coyle

With the XFL’s season likely over, the New York Jets could fill several of their needs by inviting some of the talent to their roster.

They held out as long as they could, but the XFL joined the countless amount of professional leagues that opted to shut down in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Thus likely ends the league’s inaugural season, one that recently reached the halfway mark of its ten-game slate.

In the wake of the league’s suspension, the players will receive their base salary earned from single-year contracts that expire on May 31. However, if players receive a “credible contractual offer” from an NFL or CFL squad, they’ll be allowed to partake.

NFL free agency is surprisingly set to start on time, with the New York Jets set to spend just over $44 million in cap space to fill their many needs. Some of those needs can be filled via scouring the talent in the XFL. ESM gives you five names to keep an eye on as the process begins…

T Anthony Coyle, New York

If the Jets are looking for upgrades on the offensive line, they could look no further than their own backyard. Coyle, a Fordham alum and Staten Island native, was named to the XFL’s all-midseason squad at the time of cessation of operations. He and the Guardians’ blocking unit was starting to hit their stride in the latter stages of the shortened year. Coyle would help pave the way for New York rushers to tally 266 yards over the past two weeks.

FB Winston Dimel, Los Angeles

This one might be a bit out of the box, as injuries limited Dimel to only the final two weeks of the abbreviated XFL season. But, as one of the few true fullback types left in any brand of professional football, the versatile Dimel could become a hidden weapon on the Jets offense. The position is an endangered species in the NFL, but it may or may not be a coincidence that the most recent Super Bowl nominees each utilized a fullback in their offense (Kyle Juszczyk and Anthony Sherman). Dimel worked well in such a role in college at Kansas State and UTEP. In his sophomore season in Manhattan, Dimel had just 92 yards rushing on the year…but visited the end zone a dozen times. Additionally, Le’Veon Bell could use all the blocking help he can get. Why not provide him such an option right out of the backfield?

WR/KR Keith Mumphrey, St. Louis

A special teams area where the Jets need drastic improvement is in their return game. The departure of Pro Bowler Andre Roberts saw them rely on a combination of Ty Montgomery and Braxton Berrios, neither of whom truly filled the void of the newly minted Buffalo Bill. With Roberts gone, the Jets went from third in the league’s kick return average to a three-way tie for 20th. Mumphrey, who finished third in the XFL in return average, can also serve as a receiver, catching six passes for 102 yards. He also brings the rare benefit of NFL experience, having played two years as a fifth-round pick of the Texans.

CB Deatrick Nichols, Houston

With the Jets in desperate need of depth in the secondary (a need that increases if they lose Brian Poole to free agency), this addition from the undefeated Roughnecks would be the type of acquisition that can do it all. Nichols led the league in interceptions (3), complimenting 25 tackles including one sack. The Jets proved last year that they can certainly raise the pressure from the secondary, and Nichols can certainly fit the bill. He had 15 tackles for a loss and three forced fumbles during his time at South Florida.

K Taylor Russolino, St. Louis

The Jets brought in former Dallas Cowboy Brett Maher as their kicker, the fifth man they’ve brought in to boot since Pro Bowler Jason Myers left for Seattle. When you’re a team with an offense that’s still struggling to score touchdowns on a consistent basis, having a reliable kicker is imperative, and the Jets haven’t found that. Russolino was one of the fan favorites with the resurgent St. Louis football franchise. He was not only accurate (9-of-10 FG) but able to hit from distance as well (4-for-4 from at least 40 yards out).

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

XFL 2020: New York Guardians Season Evaluation

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New York Guardians

The New York Guardians of the remastered XFL debuted on February 9, 2020, vs the Tampa Bay Vipers. They won their inaugural game 23-3. Ever since then they have been a mixed bag.

The next two weeks they lost horribly to the DC Defenders and the St. Louis Battlehawks by blowouts. Many fans started to feel like it was a tradition to lose in New York (New Jersey) football since the New York Giants and New York Jets have not had a winning season in a while.

Anyway, since Luis Perez had taken over for Matt McGloin as the starting quarterback, their record improved to 3-2. That was until the coronavirus outbreak spread and caused multiple sports leagues to suspend their seasons, including the XFL.  Here’s the Guardians’ 2020 season in review:

Offense

The offense at times looked great when it came to scoring points, but stale on the stat sheet. The first week the Guardians won against the Tampa Bay Vipers 23-3. What may have looked like a 20-pt deficit should have been a lot closer. That game Matt McGloin had an average game, only passing for one touchdown and completing just over 50% of his passes.

McGloin’s play dropped against the Defenders in a blowout 27-0 loss. He threw 2 interceptions as the running game did not get much accomplished. The total offense totaled 137 yards. McGloin during the game and after criticized the offensive gameplan.

The offense improved when it came to the yards vs the Battlehawks, but only 9 points showed up on the scoreboard. As Matt McGloin got injured, backups Luis Perez and Marquise Williams saw some playing time.

Perez replaced the injured McGloin the next week and the offense saw an improvement. Darius Victor rushed for a season-high 82 yards, as Perez completed 69% of his passes and threw a touchdown. The Guardians won a nailbiter 17-14.

The offense saw their best game vs the Renegades in Week 5, scoring 23 points (7 on the pick-six by Ryan Mueller) in a 30-12 win. Though intercepted once, Perez still guided the offense to a much-needed win on the road. The Guardians totaled 373 yards that game.

The offense was 7th in total offensive yards, 5th in average rush yards, 6th in average passing yards and last in points for and average points for.

Defense

The defense was best known for its playmaking abilities at certain times this season. The defense also was known for giving up a lot of yards.

Week 1 vs Tampa Bay was a prime example of that. The Guardians only gave up 3 points but gave up 394 yards.  Bryce Jones and Aaron Soh picking off Aaron Murray twice. Aaron Murray and backup Quinton Flowers combined to pass for 244 yards. The rush defense struggled mightly giving up 150 yards.

The defense gave up fewer total yards the following week but gave up more points in a 27-0 loss to the DC Defenders. Cardale Jones had a field day, as he passed for 264 yards. The running game did better and only surrendered 108 yards.

The pass defense limited Jordan Ta’amu to only 117 yards the next week vs the Battlehawks. The run defense took a hit and gave up 156 yards. The final result was a 29-9 loss.

The defense saw little improvement vs Josh Johnson the next week in a nailbiting 17-14 victory. Josh Johnson made the pass defense bleed by passing for 325 yards (the most given up by the Guardians in 2020). The run defense only allowed 108 yards on the ground between Johnson, Elijah Hood, Dujuan Harris, and Larry Rose.

Next week, they had their best game. The run defense allowed a season-low 56 rushing yards and the pass defense held Philip Nelson to 206 passing yards. Not to mention that defensive tackle Toby Johnson and linebacker Ryan Mueller picked him off.

The Guardians’ defense finished the season 6th in yards allowed per game, 2nd in sacks, 4th in takeaways, 2nd in points against and 2nd in average points against. Defensive tackle Cavon Walker led the XFL with 4.5 sacks.

Analysis

Going into next year, the New York Guardians will have to improve on both sides of the field.

The offense will have to work towards thriving more in the passing game and keep their current run production game going. With an offensive genius like Kevin Gilbride as the head coach, the offense definitely underperformed.

The defense will have to work on allowing fewer yards per game, whether the opposing run game or the passing game gets the bigger chunk of yards. They do create a lot of pressures, which turn into sacks, and force the opponent to turn over the football.

The Guardians’ players will have extra time to prepare for next season, so let’s see if they take advantage of it.

XFL, New York Guardians suspend season in Coronavirus wake

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New York Guardians

The XFL was among the final sports leagues to stop business in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, stalling the season of the New York Guardians.

The XFL announced on Thursday that the league will stop its regular-season schedule. While no specifics were given, the news likely comes as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic that has led to the cancellation or postponement of several other professional leagues’ proceedings, as well as numerous college basketball tournaments.

“Currently, the XFL will not be playing its regular-season games,” the statement reads. “However, all players will be paid their base pay and benefits for the 2020 regular season. All XFL ticket holders will be issued refunds or credit toward future games. The XFL is committed to playing a full season in 2021 and future years.”

The statement’s specification of regular-season game cancellations hints that they will attempt to stage the playoffs. Four of the league’s eight teams were set to be invited to the postseason, with the top two from each division getting the invitations.

The XFL was a rebooted spring football league, borrowing its name from a failed 2001 version made in conjunction with World Wrestling Entertainment and NBC. WWE chairman Vince McMahon announced the arrival in 2018, with eight new teams taking the field last February. The league deemphasized the gimmicks that defined the 2001 attempt but featured several innovations on the field. Among them were tiered extra points that featured plays worth one, two, or three points respective set up from the two, five, or ten-yard lines.

Thus potentially ends the season of the local New York Guardians. New York was one of two markets retained from the original version, the other being Los Angeles. The Guardians posted a 3-2 record, having won two games in a row after a tough start. That record was good enough to place them in a first-place tie with the DC Defenders and St. Louis BattleHawks. Their last game was a 30-12 victory over the Dallas Renegades last weekend in Arlington.

Several members of the Guardians took to social media to express their shock about the developments.

“This all happened too fast,” defensive lineman Joey Mbu said. “And the league didn’t even fold.”

Others, like long snapper Scott Daly, expressed their gratitude for their time in black.

“Thank you…for the opportunity to play the game that I love! Grateful for the new friendships, memories and chance to keep the dream alive! The journey continues!”

New York was set to welcome in the undefeated Houston Roughnecks to MetLife Stadium on Saturday afternoon. As mentioned in the statement, refunds will be available to ticket holders.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

New York Guardians Head Coach Kevin Gilbride reveals favorite New York-Dallas memory

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New York Guardians, Kevin Gilbride

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnS2rZGW2uY

“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.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

ESM EXCLUSIVE: New York Guardians top draft pick DeAngelo Yancey eager for return

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New York Guardians, DeAngelo Yancey

ESM spoke to New York Guardians receiver and top pick DeAngelo Yancey about his hopes for the XFL and his potential return.

First-round picks of the New York football variety are often met with their first boos months before they play their first snap. DeAngelo Yancey escaped such a fate, if only because the XFL’s October draft wasn’t televised.

The receiver, however, is more than willing to admit that such a status places additional pressure on him, pressure he’s happy to embrace.

“I feel a little bit (of pressure), just from not being out here,” Yancey told ESM. “I just want to be out here more and more with my guys as the season rolls on.”

“I’m here to play football. I haven’t played in a meaningful game in a while. So going out there with a team to compete, that has a chance to come out first in the division, will be great.”

With the New York Guardians approaching the midway mark of their ten-game inaugural season, Yancey hasn’t graced the MetLife Stadium turf just yet, relegated to injured reserve due to a leg injury.

The practice field of  Torne Valley Athletic Complex is another story. Yancey, the first player the Guardians, chose in the XFL player draft, partook in drills as the Guardians prepare for a Saturday visit to North Texas to battle the Dallas Renegades (5:00 p.m. ET, Fox).

After practice at the Hillburn, NY facility, Yancey also spoke to ESM about his XFL prospects. To say he’s yearning to return to a professional football field would be the understatement of the year.

“I feel good. Relieved! I’m finally back out here with the boys. I was ready to get back out there and play some football,” Yancey said. “I’ve been itching to get back out here. It was good, it was cool. I felt fine. I feel good physically and I’m mentally ready to get back.”

Yancey has certainly had his share of “meaningful” games. A two-sport athlete from Atlanta, the 25-year-old joined the ranks of the Big Ten at Purdue after starring at Benjamin Elijah Mays High School. He continues to rank in the top ten of Boilermakers’ history in receiving and scoring.

A fifth-round selection awaited in the 2017 NFL Draft, but he never played a down for his selectors from Green Bay.  He hovered on the practice squads of the Packers and, ironically, the New York Jets.

Neither he or the team were ready to commit to his status for the weekend visit to Globe Life Park in Arlington. Yancey has yet to put a down on his XFL ledger, but he’s looking forward to making an impact if and when his number is called.

New York’s offense has struggled in the early going sans Yancey. The Guardians were the victims of the first shutout in XFL history their second outing in Washington DC, part of a streak where they failed to reach the end zone on 26 consecutive drives. Starting quarterback Matt McGloin missed their most recent contest last Saturday at home, but substitute thrower Luis Perez mustered enough traction to earn a 17-14 victory over the Los Angeles Wildcats.

The win pushed the Guardians (2-2) back into the XFL playoff picture. They’re currently tied with the DC Defenders for the Eastern Division’s de facto wild card spot, trailing the 3-1 St. Louis BattleHawks with six weeks to go in the season.

Yancey was eligible to come off of the injured reserve list against the Wildcats but was nonetheless held out. New York could certainly use his assistance against the Renegades, who currently top the Western Division in defense (308 yards per game). Yancey said he was “hoping” to partake, willing to be “squeezed in any way” he can.

In statements to ESM, both Yancey and New York offensive coordinator G.A. Mangus are confident about the direction the offense is headed as they enter this crucial interconference showdown.

“We got into a rhythm on Saturday,” Yancey said. “That’s the main thing, just getting in a rhythm. When you get off schedule, that’s when things go erratic. Staying in rhythm is the best thing for any football team.”

“We are getting better up front (on offense) and we’re matching on offense,” Mangus said. “We had a great improvement on third down (against Los Angeles) and can still get better. That gave us more plays, more reps, let us win the time of possession battle. The defensive guys love when we can keep the ball for 33-34 minutes.”

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

Should the Guardians keep Luis Perez as the starting quarterback?

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New York Guardians

Last Saturday, the New York Guardians started former AAF quarterback Luis Perez for the injured veteran Matt McGloin. Before his injury, McGloin struggled with completion percentage and turnovers. Though we have not seen Marquise Williams much, other than the game vs the Battlehawks, it seems like a switch could be probable, if McGloin keeps struggling.

Before Sunday’s match vs the Wildcats, Perez came in for a coffee vs the Battlehawks the week before. He completed four out of five passes for 39 yards and a touchdown. Then after starting vs the Wildcats, he passed for 150 yards and a touchdown with a 69% completion percentage. Here are the two quarterbacks stats this season:

Stats Comparison:

Matt McGloin (3 games)

31/59

310 yards

Completed 52.5% of his passes

1 Touchdown

3 Interceptions

52.22 Passer Rating

Luis Perez (2 games)

22/31

189 yards

Completed 70.9% of his passes

2 Touchdowns

0 Interceptions

108.13 Passer Rating

What is my verdict?

The stats do look better for Luis Perez from a microscope. However, an argument can be made that Perez played fewer games. Here’s my verdict: Luis Perez should finish the season as the Guardians starting quarterback.

Why should the Guardians stick to Perez?

Perez has a better completion percentage and fewer turnovers. He is also younger and more mobile. But, remember this is not the NFL where age is a factor in the amount of playing time.

There needs to be an adjustment made to the offensive gameplan or McGloin’s play. Just remember when McGloin criticized the gameplan vs the DC Defenders two and a half weeks ago. He has played under average in the XFL so far.

I am not saying it would be horrible to give McGloin another shot, but if the struggling trend continues, the Guardians will have to consider a change.

The Guardians can take one of two roads, depending on the situation. Chances are that the New York Guardians could ride into a playoff berth with McGloin as their starter. However, if their plans go south they can either ride with McGloin to the remainder of the season or switch to Marquise Williams or Perez to evaluate who could become the quarterback for next season.