This is the final part of a three-part series, breaking down the performances of XFL players in the NFL in 2023. Part three looks at players on NFL playoff teams. Links to the previous parts:
CB Luq Barcoo, Pittsburgh Steelers (San Antonio Brahmas)
In 2023: Coaches told Barcoo that if he could shut down WR Josh Gordon in the Brahmas’ game against the Sea Dragons, Barcoo would put himself back on the radar of NFL teams. He did, and he did. Barcoo signed with the Steelers and made the practice squad after final cuts. Aside from two days in September, Barcoo was on the practice squad all season. He was not called up to the active roster for any game action.
2024 outlook: As expected, Barcoo signed a futures contract with the Steelers after they were eliminated from the playoffs. The Steelers have been second only to the Atlanta Falcons in welcoming in players from alternative leagues, so expect them to give players like Barcoo a fair shake.
DT CJ Brewer, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Houston Roughnecks)
In 2023: A rotational piece along the defensive line for Wade Phillips’s Roughnecks, Brewer graduated to the NFL and a shot with the Buccaneers. He stood out enough in training camp to earn a spot on the practice squad. He was released for about three weeks in November, but was re-signed at the start of December and remained there for the rest of the year.
2024 outlook: Brewer did not get elevated for any games during the season. He’s one of only two defensive linemen on the practice squad, something that improves his odds of getting a futures contract following the season. Even if that happens, Tampa Bay’s deep defensive line will be difficult to crack in 2024.
WR Martavis Bryant, Dallas Cowboys (Vegas Vipers)
In 2023: Reinstated by the NFL after an indefinite ban turned into five years, Bryant was reported to be in high demand once his suspension was lifted. He signed after his first workout, with the Dallas Cowboys, landing on their practice squad. Bryant lasted two months there, released before the final week of the regular season. He was not elevated for any game action. Bryant, who stayed in shape during his time away from the NFL by playing in leagues like the IFL, CFL, FCF and XFL, caught just 14 passes for the Vipers amid season-long QB struggles.
2024 outlook: The Cowboys brought Bryant back on a futures deal after their season ended with a 48-32 trouncing at the hands of the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round. Bryant’s veteran status and past NFL production will give him a chance. It remains to be seen if his five years out of the league will simply be too much to overcome.
S Elijah Campbell, Miami Dolphins (DC Defenders)
In 2023:Spending the season as a backup safety in South Beach, Campbell enjoyed a strong performance on special teams, stepping into the defensive formation when called upon as well. He played in 15 games, starting one, amassing the fourth-most special teams snaps for the Dolphins on the season, per Pro Football Reference. He also tied for the team lead in special teams tackles with six. On defense, he made nine tackles (six solo, three assist) and had one pass defensed.
What PFF tells us: In his 141 defensive snaps, Campbell carried a 56.2 grade. He predominantly played free safety, which is where he spent 86 snaps (61%) of his time. He also played in the box (31 snaps) and as a slot corner (23 snaps). Campbell played all over special teams, with 81 snaps on kick coverage and 74 snaps on kick return being the top two. Interestingly, his highest-graded game (71.5) came in his lone start against the New York Jets. In coverage, he gave up seven receptions for 97 yards on 10 targets. He was dinged for two missed tackles. Through the year on special teams, he committed three penalties and had two missed tackles.
2024 outlook: Cambpell enters the off-season as a restricted free-agent, which means teams can submit different levels of qualifying offers, carrying varying levels of compensation should another team match the contract offer. That rarely happens and would be unlikely to happen in this case. I’d expect Campbell to be tendered as an RFA and to compete once again for a backup safety spot in Miami.
LS Scott Daly, Detroit Lions (New York Guardians)
In 2023: Detroit brought in Jake McQuaide to challenge Daly in training camp. Daly fended off the competition to retain his job for a third straight season. He snapped the first eight games of the year before suffering a season-ending knee injury on the last play of a Monday nighter. McQuaide was brought back to snap for the remainder of 2023.
What PFF tells us: A grade of 52.0 marked a significant increase from Daly’s 2022 PFF score (32.1). By comparison, McQuaide’s grade was a 67.5. Pro Football Focus doesn’t offer much beyond the overall grade for long snappers.
2024 outlook: Daly is a restricted free-agent while McQuaide is an unrestricted free-agent. It would be easier, and perhaps cheaper, to bring Daly back, but it may all depend on who impressed Detroit’s staff the most this season. The Lions could also see what’s behind door number three and go with a different snapper altogether.
G Michael Dunn, Cleveland Browns (Seattle Dragons)
In 2023: Used mostly as an extra blocker in the 12 games he played, Dunn also started two games in place of LG Joel Bitonio when Bitonio was injured. Dunn was the first interior lineman off the bench when needed. He teamed with reserve lineman Nick Harris as the two players specializing in providing some extra beef for Cleveland up front.
What PFF tells us:Dunn’s PFF grade of 61.1 was the exact same as his grade in 2022. His fill-in work at left guard amounted to 203 total snaps played there. He also played one snap at left tackle, four at right guard, and 58 as an eligible blocker at the inline tight end position. Dunn got higher marks for his run blocking (63.0) than his pass blocking (55.8). Included in that pass blocking is just one sack and five hurries allowed. He was penalized twice all year and added 41 snaps on special teams, specifically on the field goal/extra point protection team.
2024 outlook: An unrestricted free agent this off-season, Dunn could be in demand as a reserve offensive lineman. He seems to fit what the Browns like to do on offense, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he re-signed with them.
In 2023: After failing to make the Atlanta Falcons this summer, he was signed to their practice squad. Signed to the active roster briefly, he played two games for the Falcons before being released and re-signed to their practice squad. In late September, the Steelers signed Igwebuike off Atlanta’s practice squad, making him a member of the 53-man roster for the rest of the season. Igwebuike returned 11 kicks for 282 yards, good for a 25.6 average. If he had enough returns to qualify, he would’ve finished eighth in the NFL in return average. His special teams prowess included time on the coverage teams, where he made one tackle.
What PFF tells us: Igwebuike played just two snaps all season on offense (both in games with the Falcons), the rest coming on special teams units. Specifically, 45 on kick coverage, 46 on kick return and 40 on punt return. Curiously, despite being a former safety, he wasn’t used on the punt coverage team where his tackling experience could’ve come in handy. The special teams grade of 79.5 was the highest of Igwebuike’s career, and his 80.2 with the Steelers was good for second on the team among their special teams unit.
2024 outlook:Because the art of returning kicks has been lost in the rule changes to make the game safer, Igwebuike’s contributions are not important as they once were. He’s a restricted free-agent this off-season, and there are no guarantees that he’s tendered a contract by the Steelers, especially with the lack of offensive value he provides.
QB Josh Johnson, Baltimore Ravens (Los Angeles Wildcats)
In 2023: Josh Johnson is so old he played in the original UFL back in 2012. For the first time since 2020, Johnson played for just one NFL team in a season, that being the Ravens, for whom he was on his third stint. Aside from a few roster maneuverings during the year, Johnson spent the entirety of it on the 53-man roster as either the emergency third QB, or as the backup to Tyler Huntley in the final game of the regular season when starter Lamar Jackson was rested. Johnson did not see game action at any point in the season.
2024 outlook: Johnson finds himself as a UFA once again. The Ravens signed QB Malik Cunningham off the practice squad of the New England Patriots late in the year, giving them four QBs on the roster for the final few weeks, which is unusual. I don’t see Johnson returning to Baltimore with that being the case. He’s more of a player that comes in late in the process as opposed to someone brought in to training camp, which could happen again this year. Or, a UFL team might try to talk him into coming in as a mid-season injury replacement if such an issue arises.
LS Christian Kuntz, Pittsburgh Steelers (Dallas Renegades)
In 2023: He had to win his job in training camp over XFL 2023 LS Rex Sunahara, but Kuntz did so and snapped in all 17 regular season games for the Steelers once again. It was his third season in that role. He also made four tackles in coverage, which would place him in the top half of that statistic among long snappers in 2023.
What PFF tells us: Kuntz’s overall grade of 44.2 is an improvement on the 37.0 he had last season. He was penalized twice.
2024 outlook: Kuntz will be a restricted free-agent. Expect Pittsburgh to tender him a contract, as he’s been a consistent contributor to an inconsistent special teams unit during the least few seasons.
LS Nick Moore, Baltimore Ravens (Tampa Bay Vipers)
In 2023: Moore’s 2023 season ended before it began: He tore his Achilles in the off-season, landing him on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list. Baltimore signed veteran Tyler Ott to replace him.
2024 outlook: Moore signed a two-year, $2.5 million extension in March 2023. He’s under contract for 2024 and 2025. Ott is a UFA who won’t be re-signed. A torn Achilles is usually a 9-12 month injury, so if things go according to plan, Moore should be ready to go for training camp next year.
WR Mathew Sexton, Miami Dolphins (Vegas Vipers)
In 2023: Two short practice squad stints with the Falcons and New England Patriots amounted to all of Sexton’s contracted participation during the 2023 NFL regular season. He spent all of training camp with the Falcons, working as a receiver and returner. A Vegas Viper in the spring, Sexton was the second-leading receiver and the main punt returner.
2024 outlook: A late-season workout with the Dolphins didn’t initially yield a signing, but Sexton agreed to a futures contract with the team this week. If nothing else, working alongside Miami’s talented WR corps this offseason could help Sexton improve, upping his odds of finding a job somewhere in 2024.
P Daniel Whelan, Green Bay Packers (DC Defenders)
In 2023: It was an up-and-down year for Whelan, his first in the NFL. In the XFL, he was one of the top punters in the league, finishing third in yards per punt and third in punts inside the 20. He managed to beat out veteran Pat O’Donnell for the job in Green Bay, in somewhat of an upset. He was the only XFL 2023 player to win a 53-man roster spot outright when training camp concluded. Whelan punted 57 times for a 46.2 gross average (39.7 net, hurt by a punt return for a touchdown allowed), with five touchbacks and 18 punts landing inside the 20. In terms of rankings, he was 24th in the NFL in gross average, 28th among qualifiers in net average, and 28th in punts inside the 20. His special teams work also included holding for extra points and field goals.
What PFF tells us: The football analytics website is a lot kinder to Whelan than his counting stats would suggest. His overall punting grade was 74.4, good for eighth in the league. Perhaps contributing to that was his average hangtime of 4.50 per punt, which would’ve placed him fourth among qualifying punters. Strangely, some of the more basic stats like average per punt and punts downed inside the 20 are different at PFF versus what Pro Football Reference has. I used NFL.com as the tie-breaker: They have PFR’s gross average and inside the 20, but PFF’s net average. So…*shoulder shrug*.
2024 outlook: Whelan is an exclusive rights free-agent, and he’s almost guaranteed to be brought back next year. The question is, as it is for most specialists: Will the team see the need to bring in competition in training camp? The second half of his season was undoubtedly better than the first, so maybe he can carry that momentum into year two, competition or not.
P Brad Wing, Pittsburgh Steelers (San Antonio Brahmas)
In 2023: One of the best stories to come out of the XFL in 2023 was Wing, who beat his demons to make a return to professional football. Not only did he have a stellar campaign with the Brahmas, but he was able to punt in the NFL for the first time since 2017 when the Pittsburgh Steelers called upon him to replace an injured Pressley Harvin for two games. Wing was signed to the practice squad once again for the playoffs. For Pittsburgh, Wing punted 11 times for a 45.0 gross average (38.9 net) with two touchbacks and three inside the 20-yard line.
What PFF tells us:Though it only covered two games, Wing’s 58.9 PFF grade was second-best of his five-year NFL career. Also of note: an average hangtime on his punts of 4.48 seconds. Of all the punters in 2023, that number was tied for seventh.
2024 outlook: Eligible to be signed to a futures contract due to his spot on the practice squad, it seems unlikely that Wing will be offered a deal, even with Harvin’s struggles. He was not part of the initial 17 announced as having signed with Pittsburgh. Even his joining the practice squad during the playoffs was odd, as Harvin did not appear on the injury report leading up to the game against Buffalo. Nevertheless, Wing could decide to return to the Brahmas, who are still looking for a punter for 2024.
