As XFL teams continue to shape their off-season rosters in preparation for training camp in January, additions and subtractions have been made to those rosters by directors of player personnel. It’s not just releases and rights claims, however; teams have continued to trade players over the last three months, including a few that have gone down just recently.
Trades also occurred during the lead-up to the 2023 regular season, and during the season as well. Rather than give knee-jerk reactions to those deals at the time, I thought it best to reflect on them after all the smoke had cleared from the XFL’s return to the field. Enough time has elapsed now to pass judgment on those trades. Here they are, in chronological order (with the understanding that official reporting of transactions did not begin until the start of the regular season, so some pre-season trades may be missing):
January 23
Brahmas receive: WR Darece Roberson, Jr.
Roughnecks receive: CB Kary Vincent, Jr.
Houston sent the Wayne State product Roberson to San Antonio in January after using one of their seven wide receiver selections in the Skill Position Phase of the draft on him. A non-factor on offense, Roberson was San Antonio’s best punt returner in terms of yards per attempt. Nevertheless, he was let go in late March when WR Landen Akers was activated from injured reserve.
Both teams dealt from a position of strength, as San Antonio’s defense was anchored in part by its strong defensive back play. Vincent was a second round pick by the Brahmas in the Defensive Backs Phase of November’s draft. In Houston, he lasted on the roster until week nine, mostly in a reserve role. He made five tackles on the year before being released.
The verdict: Roberson’s production on special teams tilts the scale in favor of San Antonio, though Roberson likely wouldn’t have had a place in Houston’s deep wide receiver corps. A seventh-round pick of the Denver Broncos in 2021, Vincent was worth taking a flier on for the Roughnecks.
Brahmas: B
Roughnecks: C+
January 28
Roughnecks receive: LB Caliph Brice
Defenders receive: G Sam Cooper
Brice made it almost two weeks in training camp with Houston after the trade – he ended up getting released as part of the team’s final cuts on February 9. Linebacker depth was needed in March after Duke Ejiofor and Nate Wieland were placed on IR, so Brice was re-signed. He played the last five regular season games (starting two) as well as the playoff game. Though he graded out poorly per PFF (the second lowest-graded defender on the season for Houston), he provided valuable depth. Brice made 19 tackles, two tackles for loss, and had three special teams tackles.
Brice, a Supplemental Draft selection of DC, was traded for Cooper, who was a fourth-round pick by Houston in the Offensive Line Phase. Cooper got hurt not long after he joined the Defenders, and was placed on injured reserve February 6. He was subsequently released from IR on March 15. DC experienced injuries at the center position, something a healthy Cooper could’ve helped patch.
The verdict: Hard to blame DC for injuries outside their control. But strictly from a production standpoint, Houston easily won this trade even if Brice was out of the league for half the season.
Roughnecks: B-
Defenders: D
January 28
Battlehawks receive: OL Kai Absheer
Sea Dragons receive: TE Charlie Taumoepeau
This was the only trade in which St. Louis was involved during camp or the season. Taumoepeau was the Battlehawks’ final pick in the Supplemental Draft and a graduate of the NFL Alumni Academy. The team kept just two tight ends on the roster in Jake Sutherland and Jovani Haskins, making Taumoepeau expendable. Like most XFL teams, St. Louis was in the hunt to upgrade their offensive line, which they attempted to do here. It didn’t work out, and Absheer was let go at final cuts. He briefly appeared on San Antonio’s roster at the beginning of the season, but was released on March 8 before making a return to the USFL.
Absheer was one of many former USFL players plucked in the Supplemental Draft, and Seattle pounced on him in round one. In getting Taumoepeau, Seattle used him more like an H-Back in June Jones’s offense that is notoriously allergic to tight ends. Taumoepeau ended up carrying the ball six times for 53 yards (8.8 average) and catching five passes for 60 yards. He played just 82 offensive snaps in nine games but was Seattle’s highest-graded offensive player per PFF. Most of his value came on special teams, where he played 111 snaps across five units, making five tackles in coverage.
The verdict: In hindsight, Absheer seemed like a dart throw for St. Louis DPP Dave Boller. When Absheer couldn’t even stick with San Antonio, a team infamous for its offensive line play, that should tell you a lot. Taumoepeau was a gadget player in Seattle, yet another weapon for their high-powered offense.
Battlehawks: D
Sea Dragons: A-
January 29
Roughnecks receive: DT Josh Avery
Defenders receive: DT Tariqious Tisdale
Avery was another USFL transplant selected in the Supplemental Draft. There are only so many 6’4″, 320-pound men on earth and Avery is one of them, making him a valuable plug in the middle of a team’s defensive line – in theory. After failing to stick with the Defenders, he was shipped to Houston to man the middle in Wade Phillips’s famous 3-4 defense. On February 8, Avery joined four others in being placed on the team’s injured reserve list. He was released on March 27 and went back to the USFL.
It was a similar story for DC’s acquisition, Tisdale. Originally a seventh-round pick by Houston, Tisdale was placed on DC’s IR just two days before Houston did the same with Avery. He too was eventually released from that list, on April 5. A week later, Tisdale signed with Seattle and finished the season on their roster as a backup defensive tackle.
The verdict: Neither played a down for their team due to injury. Consider this a draw – nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Defenders: C
Roughnecks: C
January 30
Renegades receive: WR Zimari Manning
Defenders receive: DB Cameron Lewis
Manning was DC’s top pick in the Open Phase of November’s draft. He played in the Indoor Football League after setting records at his alma mater Tarleton State. Even on a team that struggled to establish core receivers for much of the year, Manning didn’t work out in Arlington. He was part of the final batch of releases before the season, a week-and-a-half after he was acquired from the Defenders.
An LSU product, Lewis was a sixth-round pick of the Renegades. Through the season, Arlington maintained a strong defensive backfield, leaving no room for Lewis. While in DC, he played in all 12 games (regular season and playoffs), and paced the team in special teams snaps. He finished tied for first in tackles on that unit. Defensively, he was listed as a backup safety to Kentrell Brice and played 145 snaps. He started the regular season finale against San Antonio.
The verdict: When all the teams are practicing in one city and everyone can scout each other, it’s hard to believe a DPP and coaching staff can miss as badly as Arlington did on this deal. While DC finished as a runner-up to Arlington in the league championship game, they can take solace in the fact that they handily won this trade.
Renegades: F
Defenders: A-
February 5
Brahmas receive: TE Ben Beise
Sea Dragons receive: RB Moe Neal
With San Antonio set at running back behind the two-headed monster of Kalen Ballage and Jacques Patrick, they moved Neal in exchange for Beise, a sort of FB/TE hybrid who ran the ball 22 times his senior year at Wisconsin-River Falls. After attending training camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022, Beise was selected in the final round (13th) of the Supplemental Draft by Seattle. Beise made the Brahmas’ initial roster and played in the first three games, mostly on special teams. He was released on March 8.
Neal came to San Antonio as an NFLAA allocation after playing 49 games at the University of Syracuse. For Seattle, Neal was brought in at a time when the team was auditioning backups at the spot, including signing then later releasing Cam’Ron Harris, who eventually hooked on with DC. Neal didn’t make it past training camp, as he was cut four days later on February 9. Seattle opted to keep just two RBs on its opening day roster in Morgan Ellison and Brenden Knox, with TJ Hammonds in a RB/WR role.
The verdict: Beise didn’t contribute much, but it’s more than can be said for Neal. Seattle apparently didn’t think much of their acquisition because he wasn’t called back mid-season when the Sea Dragons lost both Knox and Ellison to injuries for periods of time.
Brahmas: C-
Sea Dragons: F
February 8
Renegades receive: RB Adrian Killins
Roughnecks receive: DT Glen Logan
In the final trade before the regular season kickoff, Arlington acquired a running back on the same day they cut two others in Kenneth Farrow and D’Montre Tuggle. Seemingly a big get by the Renegades, Killins was Houston’s first-round pick. He ended up making the team, but the backup RB spot was in flux for Arlington for the entirety of the season. In mid-March, Killins was replaced on the roster by Leddie Brown. Killins played in four games, averaging a lowly 0.4 yards per carry on seven totes. He also averaged 19.5 yards per return on 10 kickoffs.
Logan was Arlington’s final pick in the Open Phase. Based on their draft positions, one would assume this was a lopsided trade; it was, but not for the side you’d think based on pedigree. Logan finished the season as backup DE to Trevon Mason after starting the first five games. He played in every contest, covering 269 snaps and making 16 tackles with 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.
The verdict: The rare trade in which both players saw regular season action, Houston obviously got much more value out of Logan than did Arlington from Killins. While we can criticize the Roughnecks for taking a player like Killins in the first round, we can compliment them for cutting bait when they did and getting a key defender in exchange.
Renegades: D+
Roughnecks: B+
March 6
Defenders receive: OT Antonio Garcia
Vipers receive: CB Joshua Allen
One of two trades to be consummated by the Defenders on this date, the incoming Garcia replaced the departing TJ Storment, who was part of the other trade. Garcia was a first-round pick of Vegas but was inactive for the first three games of the year. He played in a reserve role in four games for DC before being released on April 17, just prior to week 10.
A fifth-round pick in the Defensive Backs Phase, Allen played 34 snaps in three games for DC prior to the trade. One of those games was against Vegas, where Allen played 16 snaps and registered a 26.9 overall PFF grade, which is extremely low. After appearing in two games for the Vipers, Allen was released and claimed off waivers by DC on April 18. He was inactive for the divisional playoff game but remains on DC’s off-season roster.
The verdict: A strange trade for Vegas, and not their only one of that type. Allen was acquired after playing his worst game against the team that would trade for him, and they shipped off an offensive linemen in a league where that position is at a premium. DC snatched Allen back up after Vegas discarded him, so though they didn’t end up having much use for Garcia, getting back the player they traded counts for something.
Defenders: C
Vipers: D-
March 6
Renegades receive: WR JaVonta Payton
Guardians receive: OT TJ Storment
Defenders receive: TE Alex Ellis
The only three-way trade of the XFL 2023 season. Despite struggling on offense, Orlando sent WR JaVonta Payton to Arlington. Payton was initially signed by Orlando as a free agent on January 21. He had three catches in two games, one of them a start. With the Renegades, Payton eventually moved into a starting role. He broke out in the playoffs, catching two touchdown passes against Houston in the XFL South Division Championship.
The Guardians, ever on the lookout for offensive line help, thought they found a solution in TJ Storment. A first-round Offensive Line Phase selection by DC, Storment started three games there before the trade to Orlando. He started two out of three games for Orlando, and in the third, suffered an injury that sent him to IR on April 13.
Ellis was the third of three tight ends drafted by Arlington in the Skill Player Phase of November’s draft. He was dealt after being a healthy scratch in week three. Similar to his role with the Renegades, Ellis became the third-string blocking tight end in DC. The team used all three TEs in the run-first offense so Ellis played a lot. He became a red zone threat, catching eight passes, four of which went for touchdowns.
The verdict: To a certain extent, all teams benefited from this trade, some more than others. Had Storment stayed healthy, he could’ve helped to steady Orlando’s offensive line. Or, his play could’ve been brought down by the rest of the struggling unit.
Renegades: A
Guardians: C
Defenders: A-
March 23
Roughnecks receive: LB Drew Lewis
Brahmas receive: QB Kurt Benkert
Desperate times called for desperate measures, and San Antonio was mostly certainly experiencing desperate times at quarterback as the season progressed. They had issues with injury and ineffectiveness at the position, and yet they were still in the hunt for a playoff spot. Benkert was a QB assigned to Houston, though he declined the opportunity to come to camp. His mind changed, perhaps after not having to spend so much time hunkered down in Arlington’s hub, agreeing to return for San Antonio. Houston activated him off their reserve list in order to trade him to the Brahmas. In his first Brahmas start (and second game with the team), Benkert succumbed to injuries, which had derailed Jack Coan and Reid Sinnett before him, suffering fractured ribs against Vegas in week seven.
Benkert was apparently never going to play for Houston – had he wanted to come back mid-season it would’ve been in a backup role anyway – so the Roughnecks didn’t have much leverage. Lewis started the first two weeks for San Antonio, but saw his snaps decrease in the next three games as a reserve. He slid in as backup middle linebacker in Houston, making eight tackles with three for a loss. Most importantly, in just five games with Houston, Lewis finished the season tied for first in special teams tackles.
The verdict: More than any other trade, this one still feels incomplete. If Benkert returns to the Brahmas in 2024, he has a clear shot at the starting gig. But that’s a big “if.” While QB was a problem in San Antonio, the real issue was the offensive line that led to the Benkert injury. Credit the Brahmas for looking for a solution outside the box. Lewis wasn’t a star by any stretch; however, special teams are important in the XFL and he proved adept in that role. Adding to the degree of difficulty in consummating this deal: Drew Lewis was traded by his father, San Antonio DPP Will Lewis. It’s a tough business.
Roughnecks: B
Brahmas: B-
March 28
Renegades receive: QB Luis Perez
Vipers receive: LB Ryan Mueller
Concerned fans were so suspicious of this trade that some speculated the league may have gotten involved, moving Perez from a non-contender to a team in the playoff hunt, perhaps to appease their hub city of Arlington. There’s been no evidence in that direction, however. Apparently, Perez requested the trade when Vegas decided to move in a different direction following a week six loss to St. Louis where Perez threw two interceptions. Strangely, at 1-5, Vegas was still in the playoff hunt when they turned the reins over to third-stringer Jalan McClendon. Like Houston when trading Benkert, Vegas didn’t have much leverage in the situation, and it showed in the value of their return.
Arlington appeared to be in the right place at the right time to pounce on Perez. At 3-3, Arlington was clinging to its playoff hopes following a 15-9 loss to San Antonio. Both Drew Plitt and Kyle Sloter played; they both continued to fail to distinguish themselves. Enter Perez, who sent Plitt to the bench and Sloter to the unemployment line. The veteran of many spring leagues and many offenses, Perez picked things up quickly and hit his stride just as the Renegades were heading to the playoffs. The other man in the trade, Mueller, played for Vegas defensive coordinator Cris Dishman with the Guardians in 2020, so his involvement made sense from that perspective. A week after he was acquired by the Vipers – and after a game in which he was inactive – Mueller was waived by the team, only to be claimed by Arlington.
The verdict: Perez was a huge reason Arlington won the championship. His impact truly cannot be overstated. The trades Vegas made, including this one, give an understanding as to why they finished near the bottom of the standings.
