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The XFL did the right thing by shutting down its season, but unlike other well-established professional sports leagues, it did not have the bank balance or corporate partners necessary to withstand the crippling loss of revenue associated with the shutdown. Even so, the league kept paying players during the suspension of the season, until it could no longer afford the luxury.

“I thought it had great potential, especially for guys who can’t make an NFL roster or don’t want to go across the border to play in the CFL,” said Edwards, 32, who signed with the Edmonton Eskimos shortly after the XFL folded its tent completely.

He’s coming off a solid 2019 campaign with the Argonauts, during which he caught 69 passes for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s working out at his home in South Carolina, using weights borrowed from a friend’s gym, getting ready in hopes that the CFL will launch at least a shortened season this summer.

He said the decision to sign with Edmonton was an easy one.

“I actually was in contact with them among other teams before I decided to go to the XFL. Edmonton was just one of those teams that kept checking in. They were genuine. They couldn’t do any offering, but they kept in touch. That swayed my decision.”

A college quarterback, he was a third-round pick by Carolina in 2010, and played in 41 NFL games over five seasons with the Panthers and Cleveland Browns, mostly as a punt and kick returner. In 2016 he came to the CFL with Saskatchewan, intent on prolonging his career and making it work as a receiver. In 56 CFL games, he has 244 catches, 3,181 receiving yards, and 16 touchdowns.

“For me it was a no-brainer,” he said. “I knew I wasn’t ready to be done with football. So to make the decision to further my career and get a chance to prove to myself and others that I could play the receiver position, that was an easy one for me to make.”

dbarnes@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/sportsdanbarnes