|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Getting started XFL to draft 14 ex-NFL first-round draft picks
Updated: Friday October 27, 2000 6:23 PM
CHICAGO (AP) -- Ex-Chicago Bear running back Rashaan Salaam and 13 other former NFL first-round picks are expected to be among the prized selections when the upstart XFL holds its first player draft. The Las Vegas Outlaws and the seven other teams that comprise the new league, an undertaking of the World Wrestling Federation and NBC television, will conduct the draft at the Chicago Marriott O'Hare on Saturday. The ex-NFL top selections include Jim Druckenmiller, Alvin Harper, John Avery, Tommy Maddox, Mike Croel and Marcus Nash. "If I look at the positive on these guys, maybe this is their time to shine with their true talent," said Bill Baker, the XFL's Director of Player Personnel. Each XFL team protects up to 11 players from three territorial colleges assigned to them. To fill the rest of their rosters, clubs will draft from a pool of about 1,500 players that are already under contract to the league.
No player under contract in the NFL, CFL or Arena Football is eligible. The Los Angeles Xtreme won Thursday's draft lottery and will select first. Although they likely protected Maddox, a former UCLA quarterback, the Xtreme might still draft a quarterback with their top choice -- possibly Druckenmiller, who played in six games for the San Francisco 49ers in 1997-98. "In professional football, anybody that's involved in it from a coaching viewpoint understands how important that [quarterback] position is," said Los Angeles head coach Al Luginbill. After Los Angeles, the draft order is: Birmingham, Memphis, Orlando, Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York/New Jersey and Chicago. The Outlaws protected 11 players from UNLV, Nebraska and Brigham Young, though the league would not release the names of the players. Coach Jim Criner said the group is strong at linebacker and safety. The Outlaws will take 70 players to camp, but will open the season with a 38-man active roster and a seven-man taxi squad. The XFL's 10-week schedule kicks off Feb. 3.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
