May 15, 2022
Did you forget that the USFL even existed? Well, I was flipping through the channels yesterday, and sure enough, there it was — the New Orleans Breakers vs. the New Jersey Generals. I watched it for about 10 minutes.
Anyway, it got me thinking, are any players standing out in that league? And if so, would they make sense for the Eagles? It's worth noting that the Birds have taken shots on former XFL or AAF players, most notably Tyree Jackson.
So here are three players that I came up with, and yes, it's a slow news day.
• Maurice Alexander, WR/PR/KR, Philadelphia Stars: Alexander was a quarterback at Florida International who transitioned to wide receiver for his junior and senior seasons. As a receiver, he had 65 catches for 772 yards and 6 TDs.
His bigger appeal is in the return game. At FIU, he averaged 16.5 yards with 2 TDs on 33 career punt returns. That return ability has carried over into the USFL. He is averaging 35.2 yards per kick return and 13.3 yards per punt return. Some highlights:
So, I don't know if the Eagles necessarily looking to groom the next Greg Ward, but Alexander has a similar background.
• Brandon Wright, P, Tampa Bay Bandits: Wright is averaging 47.8 yards per punt. Banger here:
And here:
Wright was both a kicker and a punter in college at Georgia State. He had a cup of coffee in the NFL with the Jaguars as a kicker, but he probably has more pro potential as a punter.
I have no clue how consistent he is, but at a minimum, Wright has a bigger leg than Arryn Siposs. Just give me a punter competition to cover in training camp, Eagles. I really don't ask for that much.
• Chris Odom, Edge, Houston Gamblers: Did I merely just go to the USFL's sack leaders to find a pass rusher to add to this list? Yes, yes I did. Anyway, Odom has 5.5 sacks in four games. The next-closest guy has 4.5 sacks, and the next closest guy after that has 2.5.
Odom appeared in four games for Washington in 2019, and he actually had two sacks, one of which was a strip sack turnover that sealed a win. The Eagles are down an edge rusher after Cameron Malveaux retired, so Odom is maybe worth a look?
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