One Territorial Protection Possibility Remaining for Outlaws
Press Release Courtesy of the Las Vegas Outlaws (Reported By the GrandonGang)
LAS VEGAS (Wednesday, December 27, 2000) – The Las Vegas Outlaws will participate in their first XFL supplemental draft, to be held Friday, December 29, via conference call between league headquarters in Stamford, Conn., and the eight XFL teams.
The purpose of the XFL supplemental draft is to allow teams to add players who were not eligible when the league staged its inaugural draft on October 28. At the time, XFL teams stocked their rosters with 70 players, including those taken during the draft’s open phase and others acquired via territorial selection.
Since then, Outlaws Head Coach Jim Criner and his colleagues around the league have had the opportunity to review and evaluate talent at two one-week mini-camps: a November “skills camp” that featured only players who normally handle the ball (quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends, receivers and centers) and a December session that brought together full 70-man squads.
“This is an excellent opportunity for us to bolster an already deep roster with a handful of quality players,” said Las Vegas Vice President/General Manager Bob Ackles. “While we are very pleased with our current roster of 69 guys going into training camp, we are excited about the possibility of adding some exciting players to the mix.”
In the supplemental draft, teams will be able to add an unlimited number of players, all of whom must meet XFL eligibility criteria, which includes being free of contracts to other football leagues. Players who were part of the league’s original draft pool are ineligible.
Following Friday’s supplemental draft, which will begin at 6:00 a.m. (PT) and will be carried live on XFL.COM, teams will have 24 hours to trim their rosters to 70 players. All eight XFL teams open preseason training camps next week, with the entire Western Conference (Los Angeles Xtreme, Memphis Maniax and San Francisco Demons) joining the Outlaws in Las Vegas from January 2 – 28.
“Now that coaching staffs have had the opportunity to see the players in mini-camps, they have a much better idea of what their needs are,” said Mike Keller, the
XFL’s Vice President of Football Operations.
