If you have not had a chance to check out the first two weeks of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), then you are missing out on some quality football.
The AAF is a brand new football league comprised of eight teams, founded by both Charlie Ebersol and Bill Polian. The league features a lot of former NFL and college football coaches along with former players, who are looking to get back into the league.
Speaking of the NFL, various team executives are taking notice of AAF and its ability to become a development/minor league system for the NFL. One team, who has a lot of players playing in the Alliance and should maybe sign a few of these guys is the Philadelphia Eagles.
Even though the Eagles are set at a majority of positions for next season, they could use the depth at other spots. The AAF is a great league to find some diamonds in the rough and fill out their 90-man roster.
Therefore, through two weeks of action, who should the Eagles have on their radar? Here are just a few players that have stood out and could help out Philly:
1. Rashad Ross, WR, Arizona Hotshots
The 29-year-old Ross has been one of the best wide receivers thus far in the AAF. Through two games, he leads the league in receiving touchdowns (3) and has 170 receiving yards on nine catches.
The 6-foot, 180-pound wideout can stretch the field, which was on full display in Week 1 against the Salt Lake City Stallions and something the Eagles are looking for this offseason. Ross can also play special teams too, as he is handling punt return duties with the Hotshots.
Before joining the AAF, Ross spent time with the Washington Redskins in 2015-16. He also was in training camp with the Arizona Cardinals last summer, after signing a futures deal earlier in the year.
If Ross can continue to dominate the competition in the AAF, there is no reason why he cannot get a tryout in the NFL.
2. Charles Johnson, WR, Orlando Apollos
Sticking with the theme of wide receivers, Johnson had himself a field day against the San Antonio Commanders on Sunday. The former Minnesota Vikings wideout dominated the Commanders’ secondary to the tune of seven receptions (10 targets) for 192 yards and a touchdown.
Johnson showed the ability to stretch the field in head coach Steve Spurrier’s spread offense, blowing by former Eagles cornerback De’Vante Bausby for a huge 50-yard passing play in the second quarter.
Later in the second quarter, he hit Commanders cornerback Zack Sanchez with a nasty double-move for a touchdown. The 29-year-old wide receiver leads the AAF in receiving yards (252) and receptions (11).
TAKE AIM!
Garrett Gilbert and Charles Johnson are having a monster connection in the first half for the @aafAPOLLOS. pic.twitter.com/OLl7S1TgJn
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) February 17, 2019
Last summer, Johnson was with the New York Jets in the preseason but did not make the final roster. Before playing with the Jets, the former seventh-round pick spent time with the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, and Green Bay Packers.
3. Karter Schult, DE, Salt Lake City Stallions
Even though the Stallions could not come away with the victory against the Birmingham Iron on Saturday, Schult made his presence felt the entire game. The former University of Northern Iowa product wreaked havoc and found himself in the Iron’s backfield, sacking standout quarterback Luiz Perez twice.
The 6-foot-3, 259-pound defensive end might not blow you away with his speed, but he has good technique and strength to shed blocks to get to the quarterback. This was the case against the Iron as he was not only able to disengage from the tight end but got around their offensive lineman for his second sack of the game.
ICYMI
That’s sack number ✌️ for @KarterSchult in the first quarter. Boom. pic.twitter.com/BUggYFuO1o
— Salt Lake Stallions (@aafstallions) February 16, 2019
Through two weeks, Schult leads the league in sacks with three. Before landing in the AAF, he spent training camp last summer with the Carolina Panthers, joined the Browns for training camp in 2017, and was a standout at the FCS level with UNI.
In college, Schult won the Buck Buchanan Award in 2016, which goes to the best defensive player in FCS. He had 56 tackles for loss (school record), 35.5 sacks, and 20 quarterback hurries.
With that being said, the Eagles could use some extra depth on the defensive line, heading into next season. Schult would be a nice rotational defensive end to plug in on obvious passing downs.
