Tampa Bay Vipers Odds, Picks, Predictions & Depth Chart
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Below you'll find odds, depth charts and more analysis for the Tampa Bay Vipers.
Tampa Bay Vipers XFL Championship Odds
- Championship Odds: +400
Odds as of Thursday and via FanDuel, where Action Network users get a risk-free bet up to $500.
Tampa Bay Vipers Offensive Depth Chart & Analysis
- QB: Aaron Murray, Taylor Cornelius, Quinton Flowers, Chase Litton
- RB: De’Veon Smith, Jacques Patrick, Mack Brown
- WR: Daniel Williams, Reece Horn and Jalen Tolliver, Tanner McEvoy, Seantavius Jones, Ryan Davis, Donteea Dye
- TE: Nick Truesdell, DeAndre Goolsby, Colin Thompson
- OL: Isaiah Williams, Daronte Bouldin, Jordan McCray, Jerald Foster, Martez Ivey
Murray, of several NFL practice squads and the AAF's Atlanta Legends, gets another shot at a starting gig. Nothing about Murray is exciting, but head coach Marc Trestman has proven he can get the best out of his quarterbacks.
Smith is fresh off his leading rushing role for the AAF’s Orlando Apollos, but Patrick (Dalvin Cook’s backup at Florida State) is reportedly set for a complementary role. Flowers has also been taking reps at running back, and Trestman has talked him up during training camp. Brown is a former NFL preseason DFS favorite, but he’s No. 3 on the depth chart.
Based on the way Trestman has fed targets to his backs in the past, one of these players is likely to be among the league leaders in running back receptions. It could even be Flowers.
The big surprise from the first depth chart release is Jones’ spot with the second-string receivers. Jones last year was top-five in air yards in the AAF, where he played with Murray. Tolliver has NFL experience and Horn led the AAF’s Memphis Express in receiving yards, but coaches seem to be most impressed with Daniel Williams, a Jackson State product. One of these players is going to step up to play the Brandon Marshall or Alshon Jeffrey role in this offense.
Truesdell led the AAF in receiving yards for tight ends and was the team's first-round pick. He figures to be heavily involved and is an all-around mismatch weapon.
Tampa Bay Vipers Defensive Depth Chart & Analysis
- DL: Jason Neill, Josh Banks, Nikita Whitlock, Deiontrez Mount, CeCe Jefferson, Ricky Walker, Bobby Richardson
- LB: Lucas Wacha and Terrance Plummer, Emmanuel Beal, Reggie Northrup, Anthony Stubbs.
- CB: Shelton Lewis, Anthoula Kelly, Robert Priester, Marcelis Branch, Micah Hannemann, Jalen Collins, Tarvarus McFadden, Corey Moore, Demontre Hurst, Bryce Canady, Rannell Hall
The Vipers defense is led by Glanville, who is entering his seventh decade of coaching and coming off a short stint as the defensive coordinator for the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats. After being hired, Glanville opined about the best way to slow down opposing XFL offenses.
Our Defensive Coordinator Jerry Glanville gives you his approach to the Defensive Backfield phase of the #XFLDraft…
… in classic Jerry style. pic.twitter.com/r4Ckld4a22
— Tampa Bay Vipers (@XFLVipers) October 16, 2019
In the draft, Tampa Bay picked seven cornerbacks and three safeties, and although most of those players have been cut or relegated to backup roles, the Vipers are still focused on their secondary. Vipers coaches have said they expect to see a lot of four-wide receiver sets in a fast-paced league, so maybe we will see some hockey-type line changes in this 11-member secondary.
Tampa Bay Vipers Pick
Pick: +550 To Win the Championship
A couple of weeks ago, Caesars released win totals for the XFL, and although they are no longer on the board, the Vipers had the highest number at 7.5: They clearly have a talented team.
Some books have Tampa Bay among the favorites (Draftkings +450) in the futures market, while others (like BetMGM at +550) list the Vipers in the middle of the pack. If you’re a Trestman truther like me, and you trust that opening win total from Caesars, then there's some value here.
