What if just a couple guys go off script, the whole landscape of the league changes.  The team draft is so exciting because it is really so unpredictable.  Here’s another take:

1. Nick – Can’t stop thinking about Simmons, takes Cards.
2. Regan – Ravens stay weird with Regan in charge.
3. Rob – What is pancho power?  Maybe we find out next cycle with Rob as Bills again.
4. Jack – Stop trading with the Redskins guys.
5. Brian – He may be goofy but he is loyal to his Panthers.
6. Tosh – Really not seeing Tosh as Browns, he selects Miami in this iteration.
7. Higgie – Another loyalist, sticks with Denver.
8. Boone – Stays in LA but this cycle goes with Chargers.
9. Pride – Cards off the board, he goes with the Colts.
10. VBD – Really liking the looks of VBD in Cinci, becoming a lock for my predictions.
11. Wings – Tampa may be as close to home as it gets for Wings and he selects the Bucs.
12. Kylo – One landing spot for this high flyer, the Eagles.
13. Jmo – Chiefs drop out of the top 10 and JMo can’t let them slide any further.
14. Doss – Just win baby.  Is this Doss’ year with these Raiders?
15. Josh – The only choice is the Cowboys.
16. Brackett – No trading Brackett needs a solid starting roster, selects Vikings.
17. Nws – Cleveland is his hometown.  He chooses Browns.
18. Ares – Jacksonville may have the best Madden defense at cycle start and Ares is happy to grab them.
19. Riot – Der beste Euro nimmt seine Lieblingsmannschaft, die Bears.
20. Van – Wants a Super Bowl so bad but needs the right div, goes with Houston.
21. Sparty – Michigan faithful, it’s his cycle for Lions.
22. Shwhite – Looking for a soft landing spot, best option is Packers in NFCN.
23. Hammer – Choices are getting thin, he goes for Niners hoping Nick has another rough cycle.
24. Ace – Seems to always land in the AFCS in CFM.  Here we go again, selects Titans.
25. Prince – Aims to get the Boone stink off the Rams.
26. Hawkeye – Good user, needs a good squad.  Thinks the Steelers might be it.
27. Drew – No easy spots left.  Chooses to take on the Jets.
28. Wreck – How often does he wear the highlighter unis?  Wreck goes Seahawks.
29. Butter – Young Buttermelk goes with old Brees and the Saints.  Who dat!
30. Willinger – Willinger joins Rob in the AFCE taking the Pats.
31. Rio – Rio goes Falcons wanting no part of the Giants.
32. Reginald – Duck, duck, goose.  Reg is Giants in a nasty div.

Another update to the XCFL user rankings was posted by Nick and we only have a few more before the list goes dark.  The content game has picked up as anticipation for the next cycle is building.  Nick is requesting your input for your top 5 favorite teams and I have no visibility of that, but I’ve been taking notes as comments are made in chat.  There are some obvious picks, most notably in the top 5 and there are several “who the hell knows” picks near the bottom.  What you guys think of this one?

1. Nick – I’ve been calling it for almost a year, Nick takes Chargers.
2. Regan – No surprises, Regan takes the Ravens.
3. Rob – Anything other than the Bills would be a shocker.
4. Jack – Guaranteed Redskins pick.
5. Brian – He’s not paying money to NOT take Carolina.  Definitely Panthers.
6. Tosh – First off the wall pick, Tosh takes the team with the most Buckeyes in the Saints.
7. Higgie – Another guaranteed pick, Higs goes Denver.
8. Boone – Hates Tannehill but sees a white QB with dreads and must take his Titans.
9. Pride – Cardinals have all the pieces Pride wants to start a cycle with.
10. VBD – Saquon looks appealing but the Burrow – Ross combo more so and he takes Bengals.
11. Wings – Wings panics with Burrow stolen from him and takes Edwards-Helaire and the Chiefs.
12. Kylo – I don’t see Kylo taking any team but the Eagles here.
13. Jmo – Despite the daunting makeup of the div, JMo goes Giants.
14. Doss – Hoped someone would take Raiders so he could quit.  Didn’t happen, Doss is Raiders.
15. Josh – The only choice is the Cowboys.
16. Brackett – New Brackett this cycle, familiar uni for him as he takes Pats.
17. Nws – For some reason he is still a big Browns fan and doesn’t let them slip past him.
18. Ares – Tua at QB, Rob and Brackett as competition, Ares likes look of Dolphins.
19. Riot – Riot stays put as Bears for a second consecutive season.
20. Van – Drooling over the AFCE division makeup and his ideal safety, Van takes Jets.
21. Sparty – Who needs content when you can cruise and still get your fav team.  Takes Lions.
22. Shwhite – Could it be true?  Shawn actually gets his Colts.
23. Hammer – All those nice football cards weren’t enough to get him his Bears so he takes Niners.
24. Ace – What’s the opposite of Hawaii?  Minnesota.  Ace takes Vikings.
25. Prince – With a very young and very talented defense, it’s a surprise Jags are still available.  Not any more.
26. Hawkeye – Having some QB trouble in M20, he selects Rodgers and Green Bay for M21.
27. Drew – Needs that covered stadium to reduce the chance of him missing kicks.  Takes Houston.
28. Wreck – Dream draft for Wreck as his Hawks fall all the way to him.
29. Butter – Lots of talent with the Bucs and Buttermelk gets a solid team very late.
30. Willinger – Choices are limited for Willy but he gets advice from friends to take Rams.
31. Rio – Steelers or Falcons?  Flips a coin and takes Steelers.
32. Reginald – Reg gets the Falcons as the only remaining squad.

Round 1 of the NFL is in the books and everyone is all excited about a bunch of kids changing the landscape of the league.  How did your favorite teams do?  Did it change your Madden wish list at all?  Mine became a little clearer.  Here’s another pass at how the mock draft could shape up:

1. Nick – Simmons was tempting but Nick can’t pass on the Bolts.
2. Regan – …
3. Rob – Whoever drafts Winfield needs to trade him to the Bills or we will never hear the end of Rob asking for him.
4. Jack – Chase is going to be an absolute monster under these thumbs.
5. Tosh – Going Raiders is smoke and mirrors.  Going Saints is not.
6. Brian – Strongly considers dodging Tosh but he is ineligible for a refund of his donation so stays CAR.
7. Higgie – Jeudy will do work for Higs in Denver.
8. Boone – He wants all the smoke and follows Nick to the AFC West taking the Chiefs.
9. Pride – With a promising roster, the Cards will reach their potential under Pride’s guidance.
10. VBD – Saquon Barkley.  That is all.
11. Kylo - #FlyEaglesFly, big fan and has to manage them in the great XCFL.
12. JMo – No idea where he really wants to go, he chooses a solid roster in San Fran.
13. Wings – Giant crush on anything LSU, he follows Burrow to Cinci.
14. Doss – Madden will still suck in Vegas.
15. Josh – It’s going to be so annoying hearing about Lamb from the Brit all the time.  Cowboys.
16. Brackett – Big Pats fan, Rob in the div, Brackett likes his chances in Foxboro.
17. NWS – Somehow the Browns slip but they’re not getting past NWS.
18. Riot – His girl wants nothing more than to see him use Aaron Rodgers for a cycle.  He complies.
19. Ares – Finds the best team available and selects JAX.  Who will fill the div though?
20. Van – Hoping EA gives Tua a big arm, Van snags the Dolphins liking the competition in the AFC East.
21. Sparty – Michigan faithful, hopes to right what went wrong with Ares.
22. Shawn – Somehow the Colts actually slip to Shawn and he joins Ares in the AFC South.
23. Hammer – If Chicago is there, he’s taking them.
24. Ace – Really like the look of the Vikes, in a dome, good unis, couple solid rookies, balanced div.
25. Prince – Who the hell knows?  How about the Bucs?
26. Hawkeye – Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey anchor the defense.  Hawkeye can build an offense in LA.
27. Drew – Heads for the first dome he can find to help that kicking game.  Houston will do.
28. Wreck – Wreck’s Hawks fall to him and he snags them.
29. Butter – Jets not very appealing and the AFC North looks tough so Butter heads to Nashville.
30. Willy – Willy heads to the AFC East to play a familiar face in Rob and takes the Jets.
31. Reginald – Falcons or Steelers to choose from, Reginald takes ATL.
32. AirV – XCFL quota for Euros is 3 so AirV returns and takes the leftover Steelers.

Periodically, chat gets bored and starts daydreaming about the teams they will take in the next cycle.  With that thread of thought in mind, I present to you a way-too-early Madden 21 mock draft with 32 applicable one liners.

1. Nick – Chargers got them unis but this is really about Derwin.
2. Regan – Only Regs is allowed to cheese with Lamar.
3. Rob – Bills Mafia!  Should we expect another table smash?
4. Jack – Redskins or bust is the only way Jack plays.
5. Tosh – Smoke and mirrors from Tosh in chat, he won’t be able to pass on his Browns squad.
6. Higgie – Higs stays at home with his Broncos, who will QB this cycle?
7. Boone – Boone returns home to Nashville.  First move, dump Tanny.
8. VBD – VBD heads way out West to recreate the Legion of Boom in the Northwest.
9. Pride – Pride misses out on his Bills so settles in with the Colts as a solid foundation.
10. JMo – JMo regretted not taking the Giants.  This year he will regret taking them.
11. Doss – Doss gets a change of scenery while keeping the same team.  Vegas baby!
12. Wings – Fulfills his promise to go AFCW if his beloved Bolts were taken.  Chiefs will be a nice consolation.
13. Josh – Back with the Boys, can he raise another banner?
14. Kylo – rounds out a very talented NFCE by taking his Eagles.
15. Brackett – Brackett promises different behavior.  Can he play the Patriot way?
16. NWS – Browns off the board, NWS takes his 2^nd hometown team the Texans.
17. Brian – No surprise, Brian sticks with the Carolina Kittens.
18. riot – After struggling in NY, Riot revives his skills with his favorite team the Bucs.
19. Ares – Speaking of reviving skills, Ares seeks out any team better than the Lions and takes Saints.
20. Jared – With Broncos gone, Jared stays close to home and selects the Jags.
21. Vanflank – Van got worn down in 20 so he’s hoping the Packers doesn’t get surrounded by elite users.
22. Sparty – Sparty fits the mold and stays home taking the Lions.
23. Hammer – A run on NFCN teams, Hammer takes his hometown Bears.
24. Shawn – Colts long gone, Shawn likes the looks of the AFCE and takes the Phins.
25. Prince – The quiet contender selects a similarly described team in the Falcons.
26. Ace – With 3 of the easier to schedule guys in the div, ace selects the Vikings to complete the North.
27. Hawkeye – Glutton for punishment, Hawkeye takes on the Bengals for a 2^nd cycle.
28. Drew – Happy to avoid a stacked div, Drew rounds out the AFCE taking the Jets.
29. Wreck – Few options remaining, Wreck likes his chances with the Niners.
30. Braap – Steelers drop way down due to the competition but Braap is up to the task and takes Steelers.
31. Buttermeelk – Cards are positioned with plenty of potential talent so B-meelk snags them.
32. Willinger99 – Willy ends up with a terrible Rams roster that looks like Brackett got his hands on it.

Abraham Lincoln is credited with saying “people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”  This article is about current XCFL players who have made up their minds they are not happy in their current roles and some justifiably so.  This is not about users - that article would be too easy, and probably get no credit.  Plus, iWreck left the league and he would have been #1.  This article is about actual players in situations that are not ideal.  This is also not a top 5 so there may be better examples.  If that is the case and you feel strongly about it, write your own damn article. 

Tremaine Edmunds, LB Los Angeles Chargers

Tremaine has a lot of fans in this league from loyal Bills Mafia members to his former college coaches.  And yet, he felt absolutely betrayed by one of the biggest Bills fans out there in one Mr. Robert Morlock.  After a short jaunt in Baltimore, Tremaine now is the most talented player on a defense devoid of talent in Los Angeles.  Originally sought after for the depth of their talent on defense, the Chargers have been stripped bare of anything resembling talent with Tremaine being the lone exception.  His contract is almost up and his one hope is the Chargers let him go so he can attempt to repair the waning years of his wasted career.

Odell Beckham Jr., WR Minnesota Vikings

OBJ is a victim.  He should still be in Cleveland with multiple championships.  But no, Tosh won a championship, had half a light beer in celebration and got drunk, and mistakenly signed Landry to an irresponsible extension.  With money that should have gone to Beckham in Landry’s bank account, OBJ found himself on the trade block and then in the cheese capital of the XCFL, Minnesota.  But NWS isn’t such a bad user?  No, but OBJ has been outplayed by a short, white guy that nobody knows.  Additionally, Billy Overthrow keeps trying to get OBJ killed with inaccurate throws and safeties are teeing off on OBJ’s body.  The result lands OBJ near the top of the list in passes dropped.

Tommy Tipton, QB Los Angeles Rams

Tommy Tipton is in pain.  Team doctors compare his body to that of the bruising found on fatalities in severe car accidents.  His senior years will not be kind to him.  All because he is getting murdered behind the line of scrimmage.  As of today, he has taken over 200 sacks in his short 2.5 season career.  That is not a typo – 200+.  Nothing makes a QB more disgruntled than getting hit and Tipton gets hit hard.  On top of the physical abuse, the man is constantly looking over his shoulder wondering when Viper Vic will make his triumphant return to the XCFL.  The man that lead the Rams to their only success still has some gas in the tank and Tipton can’t help but avoid the comparisons in performance. 

Taj Beverly, WR San Francisco 49ers

Taj will continue to amass gaudy numbers in the receiving department and may get some hardware to go with it.  But all those individual achievements are icing on the cake to some players.  Taj’s problem is he has all icing and no cake.  The 49ers have been nothing short of disappointing in the playoffs.  Until the Niners hang a banner, this man is looking at Hollywood and Askew and saying “why not me?”