Haven't posted in months.
Washington Commanders now officially sold. Woohoo! Wonder if they'll change the name? Expect a new stadium there in 2025 or so.
Camp opens in days for most teams. Hall of Fame Game just two weeks away. Not even sure Aaron Rodgers will play for the Jets. Maybe one series. Maybe.
As to USFL (and XFL) players, several will continue to fill holes in NFL squads, but as 2nd and 3rd stringers both in camp, and as the season goes on. Basically in the same pool of some 100-200 cut guys, where a handful of them actually play or sign to teams this season.
ESPN has a tracker of XFL players signed to NFL teams (for now). In case anyone didn't hear, Alex McGough has signed with the Packers. It's really hard to tell how well some of these guys will do in the NFL. His TE, Jace Sternberger used to play for the Packers and had a great USFL season, but remains unsigned. Many players from the USFL made the NFL in some form last year's camp. Most were are cast-offs from previous NFL careers. In fact, Ben DiNucci, Luis Perez from this year's XFL, and quite a few others have had actual playing time in the NFL regular season in the past. MVP AJ McCarron too, obviously.
Both Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs have hinted they are ready to pull a Le'Veon Bell and refuse to play under the franchise tag "on principle". I'm not sure what that principle is, because $10m a year guaranteed isn't a ripoff to me, especially in the NFL today, and doing so killed Bell's career (which he has all but admitted). In fact, there's rumors in Raider Nation that if Jacobs doesn't sign the tag, the Raiders will release him after the last cut on August 29th, making it very difficult for other teams to just up and sign him. I personally think this can happen because Josh McDaniels offensive coaching style, with exception to last season, has always been RB by committee, which many teams have adopted as well. The days of Adrien Peterson, Eric Dickerson, Emmitt Smith, even someone like Ladanian Tomlinson or Edgerin James - who were excellent receivers in a pass-heavy offense, being THE running back on a team, are a quaint, rapidly vanishing fantasy. Especially as the NCAA pumps out RBs in large quantities, RBs last 2-4 years on average, and the OL does most of the work.
It's hard in the NFL to truly tank, but I'm expecting Arizona to finish 2-15, maybe 4-13 at best, and win the Caleb Williams sweepstakes.
More thoughts as the season gets closer.