Josh Gordon, Cleveland Browns (Photo by Erick Drost, via Flickr)
Seattle Sea Dragons fans have cause for optimism on the eve of the 2023 season. According to Bovada Sportsbook, Seattle is the second favorite (tied with Arlington), behind St. Louis, to win the XFL Championship at +400.
The Sea Dragons have a good mix of talent and experience that should equate to wins on the field. Here is a closer look at the offense.
Seattle Sea Dragons Offensive Coordinator June Jones is the “Godfather” of the modern-day “Run and Shoot” offense. The team will be nothing if not exciting when they have the ball.
The Seattle Sea Dragons offensive line is a bit of a mixed bag at this point but has potential. It’s anchored in the middle by last year’s All-USFL center Jared Thomas.
A late addition to Seattle’s roster is offensive tackle Colin Kelly. Although he struggled to latch on in the NFL, Kelly has been a CFL stalwart for close to 7 seasons. The former Oregon State Beavers lineman is 33 years old and provides a veteran presence.
Interior lineman Michael Menet was the Arizona Cardinals seventh-round pick in 2021. The former Penn State star failed to stick on Arizona’s main roster but has spent time on the Cards and Packers practice squads. He’ll battle it out with Paul Gratten and Chris Owens for playing time at guard.
After his first two years at USC, Liam Jimmons converted from defense to offense. Over the next two, he played every game on the Trojans offensive line. There’s a good chance he’ll play opposite Kelly.
Former Dallas Cowboys signal caller Ben DiNucci leads the Seattle Sea Dragons offense. Coming out of James Madison in 2020, scouts praised his athleticism and accuracy. That lead to Dallas drafting him in the seventh round.
He played in three games for the Cowboys, completing 53% of his passes for 219 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. DiNucci spent all of 2021 on the Dallas practice squad and was released just before the 2022 season began.
In a wide-open offense, DiNucci should be very effective. He moves well and can either extend plays outside the pocket or take off with the ball. The type of quarterback who can execute the RPO.
If opposing defenses keep an extra man in the box to “spy” him, DiNucci is accurate enough to exploit single coverages. But if they lay off, he can pick up yards with his legs.
What DiNucci doesn’t have is a big arm. So stretching the field with deep passes may not be an option.
Backing him up is a QB with a cannon, Steven Montez. Although he hasn’t seen an NFL action, Montez was a force for Colorado in the Pac-12.
Seattle doesn’t possess much pro experience in the backfield. That presents a bit of a challenge.
Although the Run and Shoot has much more shoot than run, it still requires some run. That’s why TJ Hammonds is a good fit. At Arkansas, he played both running back and wide receiver.
Brendon Knox is a wrecking ball at 5’11”, 235 pounds. He will be good in short-yardage situations with his ability to bowl over would-be tacklers. The knock on Knox is that he’s a bit slow (4.67 40-yard dash) and can be indecisive when hitting the hole.
An X-factor is Morgan Ellison. As a freshman in 2017, Ellison was the Indiana Hoosiers leading rusher. A sexual misconduct charge got him kicked off IU’s team. He went to Independence Community College and finished his career at Southeast Louisiana during the Covid-shortened 2020 spring season.
The XFL’s premier name, Josh Gordon, heads up the Seattle Sea Dragons receiver group. When not battling substance issues, Gordon was an NFL All-Pro pass catcher.
If he’s past all that, Seattle has a dynamic receiver and playmaker capable of handling top-caliber cornerbacks. He should tear up opposing defenses this season. Behind Gordon are plenty of question marks.
Juwan Green turned a strong career at SUNY-Albany into a few seasons as an NFL practice squad player, most recently with Tennessee. As a senior in 2019, Green set the Colonial Athletic Association records with 1,386 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns, earning him an FCS First Team All-American selection.
Pacific Northwest football fans will be familiar with Jaylon Redd. The former Oregon Ducks receiver caught 131 passes for 1,435 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also ran for 5 touchdowns which makes him a duel threat.
Since leaving Troy State in 2018, Damion Willis has been with 5 different NFL teams. He was active for 10 games with the Bengals in 2019, catching 9 passes and contributing to special teams.
Former Western Kentucky/Mississippi receiver Jahcour Pearson is undersized at 5’7″ but lightning fast. With a 4.4 time in the 40-yard dash, he can break a long play any time.
Jones’ offense doesn’t utilize a tight end, but Seattle kept Charlie Taumoepau and list him as a running back. Other receivers on the roster are Jordan Veasey, Blake Jackson, and Kelvin McKnight.
On tap in Part 2 is the Seattle Sea Dragons defense and special teams.