It seems like a good time, for no specific reason, to come up with an All-time FC Dallas Academy Product Best XI. The offseason is a time for bits and contemplative posts and this one seemed to fit right in with all the recent talk of North Texas SC, Homegrowns, and the SuperDraft.

The rules are simple, pick a Bext XI of players who have left the FC Dallas Academy. This list will include mostly professionals. Obviously, to me anyway, a pro player exceeds a college or armature player, and it's my list.

For the professional players, I tried to strike a balance between actual pro performances and the level of the league & team at which the players perform. Talent and how good I think the player is, of course, is also a factor. I think most of the picks turned out to be easy choices.

Beyond each Best XI choice, I've put a short list of nominees. They are in no particular order.

Striker/Forward: Rogelio Funes Mori

This one's not even close. And yes, the Funes Mori brothers played for the FCD Academy. It wasn't very long but they were FCD Academy players. Rogelio has played 262 professional games at River Plate, Benfica, Eskişehirspor, and Monterrey with over 110 goals. (Depending on who's counting, I went with Wikipedia for simplicity sake.) 1 senior cap with Argentina.

Monterrey's Rogelio Funes Mori celebrates after scoring against Atlas during the Mexican Apertura 2018 tournament football match at the BBVA Bancomer stadium in Monterrey, Mexico, on November 24, 2018. (Photo by Julio Cesar AGUILAR / AFP)JULIO CESAR AGUILAR/AFP/Getty Images (JULIO CESAR AGUILAR / Getty Images)

Nominees:

- Pro career with FC Dallas, Atlanta Silverbacks, Inter Playa, and RGV Toros.

- Current FC Dallas Homegrown. 2 MLS games played. Quality loan to Tulsa Roughnecks in 2018.

- Former FC Dallas Homegrown played with Arizona United and Comunicaciones in Guatemala. 1 senior cap with Guatemala.

Left wing/mid: Alex Zendejas

Only 1 game for FC Dallas as a Homegrown striker, but played with Fort Lauderdale Strikers on loan. Continued his career with Arizona United and Carolina RailHawks in USL.

Originally from El Paso (or Ciudad Juarez), Zendejas was FC Dallas' 13th Homegrown signing. Made 8 appearances with FCD over 2 seasons before being sold for $500,000 to Chivas. He has since made a few Chivas appearances but has mostly played at Zacatepec on loan.

Alejandro Zendejas takes on Seattle Sounders. (FCD Communications)

Nominees: Zendejas

Attacking mid: Emerson Hyndman

- Currently plays for LAFC in MLS (3 games) and has played on loan with Arizona Rising.

Has spent most of his professional career in the UK after leaving the FCD Academy for Fulham's youth set up. Professional career at Fulham, Bournemouth, Rangers, and Hibernian making 54 appearances. Has 2 senior US caps.

Nominees: Hyndman

- Newest FC Dallas Homegrown.

- 1st FC Dallas Homegrown player in club history. Made 9 appearances for FCD before being let go. May have caught on with Chivas in 2013-14 but didn't play any games. Last seen playing NPSL.

- USL pro career with San Antonio FC and Phoenix Rising.

Right wing/mid: Paxton Pomykal

- Former FC Dallas Homegrown, played for Arizona United and San Antonio FC.

I was tempted to put Pomykal at left wing/mid after his wonderful US U20 run there. I think that may be his break out position this season with FC Dallas. But since he's mostly played right wing as a pro (8 games) I'm leaving him here. One could also make the case Pomykal's an attacking mid, where he played a lot for the Academy, or an 8, another position at which he excels.

Paxton Pomykal cuts back against Red Bull Brasil in the 2018 Dallas Cup. (Collodi Photography / Dallas Cup)

Nominees: Pomykal

Linking Mid: Kellyn Acosta

- 6 games for FC Dallas as a Homegrown. Currently playing with Nyköpings BIS in Sweden after stints with OKC Energy (on loan) and Miami FC 2.

Former FC Dallas Homegrown now with Colorado Rapids. 129 MLS games, 11 goals, and 15 assists mostly as a linking mid. He can also play holding mid, right wing, left back, and attacking mid. 23 senior US caps.

FC Dallas midfielder Kellyn Acosta (23) ignites the home crowd as he celebrates after scoring to break the game's scoreless tie in the 19th minute of the first half. FC Dallas led New York City FC 1-0 at halftime. The two MLS teams played their game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco on May 14, 2017. (Steve Hamm/Special Contributor) (Steve Hamm / Special Contributor)

Nominees: Acosta

Holding mid: Weston McKennie

- Blocked by MLS from signing with FC Dallas, he instead signed with Hobro IK in Denmark.

"The one that got away." 36 Bundesliga appearances, some Champions League, and 7 senior US caps. He's played as a center back, holding mid, linking mid, and even an off-striker for Schalke 04. I've chosen to list him as a holding mid as that seems to be his most common, and perhaps purest, position. You can easily make the case he should have been a linking mid on my list.

Schalke's US midfielder Weston McKennie celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League group D football match between FC Lokomotiv Moscow and FC Schalke 04 at the RZD Arena in Moscow on October 3, 2018. (Photo by Mladen ANTONOV / AFP)MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images (MLADEN ANTONOV / Getty Images)

Nominees: McKennie Victor Ulloa - 144 MLS appearances and over 10,000 MLS minutes played gets Ulloa close to taking this spot.

Left back: Moises Hernandez

- Current FC Dallas Homegrown has a shot at being a starter in 2019. I listed him as a holding mid due to his Concacaf U20 Championship Best XI performance in that position and because of my thoughts that his career might be migrating toward being a 6 long-term rather than an 8. But it was a close call. Performed strongly as an 8 while on loan with Tulsa Roughnecks in 2018.

During his first stint with FC Dallas started 33 games as a left back. Also played some left back for Guatemala (15 caps). Between his first stint for FCD and his second, he became a center back. Loan stints with Comunicaciones, Deportivo Saprissa, Rayo OKC, and San Antonio FC. Further professional run at Comunicaciones in 2017 and 2018 before returning to FC Dallas.

Nominees: Hernandez

Center back: Ramiro Funes Mori

- 8 games played at left back over two seasons as a Homegrown for FC Dallas. Played at Tulsa Roughnecks on loan. He continued his pro career in USL with North Carolina FC last season.

Like his brother, he had a short stint at FC Dallas Academy before moving to River Plate's youth team. Played 76 times for River, 55 times for Everton, and 5 times this season with Villarreal. 24 senior caps with Argentina. He's the first choice by a long shot.

Everton's Argentinian defender Ramiro Funes Mori celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Everton at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on November 28, 2015. AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / AFP / GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images) (GLYN KIRK / Getty Images)

Center back: Chris Richards

Richards gets the other center back spot by virtue of playing at, and now reportedly sold to, Bayern Munich. Originally on loan to play in their U19s, Richards saw time with the senior squad during their US tour, trained some with the Bayern senior team, played for the U23 team (Bayern Munich II), and played in the UEFA Youth League.

Chris Richards playing for the FC Dallas U19s in the 2018 Dallas Cup. (Collodi Photography / Dallas Cup)

Nominees:

- Signed as a Homegrown out of the University of Portland. Played 2 games in 2018.

- Signed as a Homegrown out of SMU. Played 5 games on loan with OKC Energy in 2018.

Right back: Reggie Cannon

- Signed with Tigres after leaving the Academy and currently plays in their U20 side.

One season in 2016 at UCLA after leaving the Academy. Current Homegrown with FC Dallas, after playing just 1 minute in 2017, started 33 games last season and is now a US senior international with 2 caps and a January camp invite.

Unites States' Reggie Cannon, rear, fouls Italy's Emerson during the international friendly soccer match between Italy and the United States at Cristal Arena in Genk, Belgium, Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) (Geert Vanden Wijngaert / AP)

Nominees:

- Current Homegrown. Signed at 15 as a right wing but was converted to right back last season. Current 2nd choice behind Cannon, Pareja said Reynolds was ready to start in late 2018.

- Signed as an FC Dallas Homegrown after playing at Maryland. Made 8 appearances for FCD in two seasons. Joined Arizona United after being waived by FC Dallas. Played 46 games for the New England Revolution after returning to MLS. Spent 2018 with Nashville SC and has signed with Austin Bold for 2019.

Goalkeeper: Jesse Gonzalez

- Left the FC Dallas Academy for a shot in Spain with Valencia but didn't catch on. Played 82 professional games with Huracan, Oviedo B, Levante B, Levante, and now Reus (on loan). Has 5 senior caps with the US.

67 MLS starts since becoming an FC Dallas Homegrown, but it's Gonzalez pure shot-stopping ability that gives him the nod. Was a Mexican youth international, he's chosen to play for the US at senior level but has yet to receive a cap.

Jesse Gonzalez, goalkeeper for FC Dallas, during a training session in Frisco on October 31st, 2017. (Omar Vega / Special Contributor)

Nominees:

- Won the 2011 U17 World Cup playing with Mexico. A former FC Dallas Homegrown (loan stint at Fort Lauderdale Strikers) who was sold to Tigres for a reported $1 mil. Did not play for Tigres but did have loans (back) to FC Dallas and Tampico Madero. Now back in MLS, he's made 27 starts for the Chicago Fire.

3rd Degree

- Signed by FC Dallas as a "USL affiliate" player, he's essentially been their 4th training keeper for two seasons while still playing some Academy games. Presumably, he'll land on the North Texas SC squad. Frequent Mexico youth international.