Breaking down the notable names on the Tampa Bay Vipers XFL roster

The Tampa Bay Vipers of the new XFL will be led by Marc Trestman, who will handle roles as both head coach and general manager. Trestman is pretty well known for his experience in both the CFL and NFL. His most recent head coaching gig in the NFL was with the Bears, which didn’t end well. After an encouraging 8-8 record in 2013, the Bears went just 5-11 in 2014, and Trestman was fired. He comes to the Vipers from the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL.

Jaime Elizondo will handle the role of offensive coordinator, while Jerry Glanville will run the defense.

As for the fantasy-relevant names you may know, here are some former gridiron stars that’ll be operating in Tampa’s offense. Editor’s note: Antonio Callaway previously appeared on this list but suffered a season-ending injury in practice.

Aaron Murray, QB (Georgia, Kansas City Chiefs)

Murray’s looking to be the hometown hero for the Vipers, growing up in Tampa Bay before going on to have a historic career at Georgia. Murray actually leads the SEC all-time touchdown list, with 121 passing and 16 rushing during his four years with the Bulldogs. Murray was a fifth-round pick by the Chiefs in 2014, but didn’t do much in the NFL, bouncing around the league for five years. He had a brief stint in the AAF with the Atlanta Legends, passing for 254 yards and rushing for another 54 in his best game.

Quinton Flowers, QB/RB (USF, Cincinnati Bengals)

Flowers is another Florida product, growing up in Miami before playing QB at USF. As a senior in 2017, Flowers went for 2,911 yards and 25 touchdowns through the air, along with another 1,078 yards and 11 touchdowns as a rusher. You’ll notice the QB/RB tag on him, so it sounds like the Vipers will be leaning on him to be a multi-dimensional dynamic weapon. Flowers spent time with the Bengals and Colts the last two seasons.

Mack Brown, RB (Florida, NFL)

Tampa is really loading up with talent that has roots in the area. Brown never really got his chance to shine at Florida, but got enough recognition to get some looks in the NFL. He made five different stops between 2015-2019, but nothing stuck. Making the move to the XFL could be the change of scenery he needs for his career.

Tarvarus McFadden (Florida State, NFL)

McFadden was one of the more prominent undrafted free agents when he entered the NFL in 2018. He had earned All-American honors in 2016 and was a finalist for the Bronco Nagurski award. He took a step back in 2017 and that cost him when he entered the 2018 draft. McFadden bounced around the NFL, spending time with the 49ers, Colts, and Lions before signing with the Vipers in December.