NFL
By Jeff Barnes
Today the 2023 XFL season kicks off, the Orlando Guardians have announced their final roster. The Guardians started building their roster in November when the reborn XFL held its draft. January 8th, 2023 training camps opened for all eight teams. The Guardians will be led by former Florida State and Green Bay Packers cornerback, and head coach Terrell Buckley. The season begins with a stiff test against the Houston Roughnecks on Saturday night at 8:30 PM. You can watch it on ESPN/FX. Ahead of the opener, the Guardians released their opening week depth chart.
Former NFL 1st-round pick Paxton Lynch will start the season at quarterback. Lynch has spent time in the NFL, CFL, and USFL, and now he tries to prove he can lead a franchise as a starter in the XFL. Deondre Francois is listed as the #2 quarterback, but you can expect him to get plenty of time as Coach Buckley expects to utilize his full roster. Former Grambling State University Guard David Moore looks to anchor the inside of the offensive line. The Guardians only have two running backs listed on their roster. Coach Buckley said that there are players with the flexibility to play in the backfield as runners.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Guardians will look to challenge XFL offenses with speed. The hybrid front will feature players like defensive tackles Gerald Willis and Trevon Sanders. Interestingly, former Auburn defensive end Nick Coe will work off the bench in a rotation. Same thing with linebacker Tegray Scales as he will backup Terrance Smith. The secondary will feature five defensive backs as safety Matt Elam will bring his NFL experience to the field in the XFL.
The Guardians defense will face a stiff test as the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks will trot out quarterback Brandon Silvers. Silvers isn’t a tall starter like Lynch, but he is a craft passer who can extend plays with his legs. You can expect plenty of blunt force trauma from the Roughnecks’ running game as they have plenty of backs on their roster to enforce their will on opponents. Stopping backs like Max Borghi, Dejoun Lee, and Brycen Alleyne will be a challenge as the roster would indicate that the Roughnecks are going to be physical at the line of scrimmage to open up the play-action passing game.
The Guardians will come back home to open their home schedule versus the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, February 26th.
