December 15, 2000
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
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.
Jointly owned and operated by World Wrestling Federation
Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWF) and NBC, the XFL will
kick off on February 3, 2001. |