Post by MGB01 on Jun 26, 2019 0:46:46 GMT -5
We conclude our FA series by taking a look at special teams
Ka'imi Fairbairn: Fairbairn has great accuracy and poise, that said he slipped a little, missing four field goals--two of which were blocked. But Fairbairn's track record suggests that it was a blip and he merely got caught in the mess that was the Hitmen 2019--he was automatic inside 40 and had a long of 54, tied for the second-longest field goal in the league.
Prediction: Dallas. The Lonestars let Brad Craddock go at midseason and signed AAF refugee Younghoe Koo, but after a good start Koo finished the same field goal-wise (9 of 12 with a long of 48). The Lonestars will bet on Fairbairn without the distractions (although in Dallas, good luck with that) returning to his all-XFL form of 2018, when he was 16 of 18 with a pair of game-winners.
Jeremy Ross: The league's leading punt returner will be 32 on the Sunday of week six of the 2020 season, but can leg one out as he broke long returns for both New York and Dallas this season, finishing with a combined 19.8 yards per return.
Prediction: Dallas. The arrival of the Air Raid in Dallas means that the Lonestars could carry as many as seven wide receivers, meaning that Ross will exclusively handle returns--he caught just eight passes for 74 yards in 2018 for the Hitmen the last time he was involved to any degree in the offense.
Bradley Pinion: Pinion wound up on IR with a hamstring injury, which caused a bad start (36.5 yards per punt and a weak 32.9 net) and led the Glory to discovering the strong leg of all-rookie punter Shane Tripucka. But Pinion is also a strong kickoff specialist, he could be a hot commodity on that alone.
Prediction: Carolina. A healthy Pinion is better than what the Colonels got out of Matt Darr, who finished with a league-low average (42.5) and third lowest net (37.5).
Tom Hackett: Still had a very good season with a 44.1 average and pinning 29 of his 55 points inside the 20. Could be headed back to New York if nothing else materializes.
Prediction: New York. Being that Ron Rivera hit it big with Tripucka in Washington (though with Pinion he sort of fell into him), he could go the undrafted route or possibly bring Pinion in. That would make Hackett a third option but that could be the best one.
Matt Dooley: Stephen Hauschka was the only kicker in the league to hit all his kicks, Dooley's accurate snaps were a huge reason.
Prediction: Pittsburgh. In probably the strangest part of free agency, the market is flooded with long snappers. Dooley will be the first off the list as he returns to the Steel City.
Ka'imi Fairbairn: Fairbairn has great accuracy and poise, that said he slipped a little, missing four field goals--two of which were blocked. But Fairbairn's track record suggests that it was a blip and he merely got caught in the mess that was the Hitmen 2019--he was automatic inside 40 and had a long of 54, tied for the second-longest field goal in the league.
Prediction: Dallas. The Lonestars let Brad Craddock go at midseason and signed AAF refugee Younghoe Koo, but after a good start Koo finished the same field goal-wise (9 of 12 with a long of 48). The Lonestars will bet on Fairbairn without the distractions (although in Dallas, good luck with that) returning to his all-XFL form of 2018, when he was 16 of 18 with a pair of game-winners.
Jeremy Ross: The league's leading punt returner will be 32 on the Sunday of week six of the 2020 season, but can leg one out as he broke long returns for both New York and Dallas this season, finishing with a combined 19.8 yards per return.
Prediction: Dallas. The arrival of the Air Raid in Dallas means that the Lonestars could carry as many as seven wide receivers, meaning that Ross will exclusively handle returns--he caught just eight passes for 74 yards in 2018 for the Hitmen the last time he was involved to any degree in the offense.
Bradley Pinion: Pinion wound up on IR with a hamstring injury, which caused a bad start (36.5 yards per punt and a weak 32.9 net) and led the Glory to discovering the strong leg of all-rookie punter Shane Tripucka. But Pinion is also a strong kickoff specialist, he could be a hot commodity on that alone.
Prediction: Carolina. A healthy Pinion is better than what the Colonels got out of Matt Darr, who finished with a league-low average (42.5) and third lowest net (37.5).
Tom Hackett: Still had a very good season with a 44.1 average and pinning 29 of his 55 points inside the 20. Could be headed back to New York if nothing else materializes.
Prediction: New York. Being that Ron Rivera hit it big with Tripucka in Washington (though with Pinion he sort of fell into him), he could go the undrafted route or possibly bring Pinion in. That would make Hackett a third option but that could be the best one.
Matt Dooley: Stephen Hauschka was the only kicker in the league to hit all his kicks, Dooley's accurate snaps were a huge reason.
Prediction: Pittsburgh. In probably the strangest part of free agency, the market is flooded with long snappers. Dooley will be the first off the list as he returns to the Steel City.