On Sunday, March 10, 2024, UFL teams trimmed their rosters from a maximum of 75 players to 58. They will carry no more than 58 players until the final cuts, which will take place in about two weeks on Saturday, March 23. That cut will get them down to the regular season roster size of 50 players. This article will look at the cuts from the teams in the XFL Conference. My column analyzing cuts from the USFL Conference can be found here.
I’ve also included how each player was acquired. Here is the key:
DDP = Dispersal Draft Protection
DDS = Dispersal Draft Selection
SDD = Super Dispersal Draft (as well as the round and overall selection)
FA = Acquired in free agency, along with the date they were signed
Arlington Renegades
Cuts: LB BJ Bello (SDD R4, 31), DT Trevon Coley (FA 1/23), DT Doug Costin (FA 2/1), RB Morgan Ellison (DDS), DB Nasir Greer (SDD R3, 23), WR Charles Hall (DDP), CB Elijah Hamilton (FA 1/29), WR Calvin Jackson (SDD R2, 15), WR Matt Landers (FA 1/23), S Christian Morgan (DDS), QB Drew Plitt (FA 2/8), OT Teton Saltes (DDP), TE Jared Scott (SDD R1, 7), G Jake Stetz (DDP), C Naasir Watkins (FA 3/1), LB Jordan Wright (FA 2/6)
Analysis: Arlington selected just five players in the super dispersal draft, and four of them were waived during this process. Scott always seemed like a reach as the team’s first round pick in the phase, and he became expendable in part by the return of Sal Cannella. One place expected to improve with the merger of the leagues is the offensive line play. The Renegades released two depth players on that unit from last year in Stetz and Saltes. Hall and Wright were both Rookie Draft selections back in June. Ellison, who had his moments with the Sea Dragons last year, appears to have been beaten out by the lesser-known Dae Dae Hunter. Plitt lost his starting job in Arlington in 2023 and despite a cup of coffee with the Cincinnati Bengals this past year, was always thought to be on the outside looking in for a roster spot here. Costin and Hamilton are two others who were in NFL camps this past summer. It will be interesting to see if St. Louis has any interest in reuniting with the former Battlehawk Hamilton.
D.C. Defenders
Cuts: CB Elijah Blades (DDS), OT Adonis Boone (SDD R5, 38), TE Ben Bresnahan (FA 1/26), WR Isaiah Coulter (FA 3/6), WR Mike Harley, Jr. (FA 3/4), WR John Hightower (FA 2/15), NT Donovan Jeter (DDS), WR CJ Johnson (SDD R8, 62), OT George Moore (DDS), OT Chidi Okeke (SDD R4, 30), OT Jack Plumb (DDP), DT Boogie Roberts (SDD R9, 70), WR Trea Shropshire (FA 1/22), CB Adam Sparks (DDS), RB Tabyus Taylor (SDD R11, 86)
Reserve/Suspended List: CB DeJuan Neal (DDP)
Analysis: Total number of games played for the 2023 D.C. Defenders among those released in this round of cuts: Zero. The Defenders stuck with the players they’re most familiar with, and why not? After all, they reached the XFL Championship Game last year and were the best team in the league for most of 2023. Johnson, Plumb and Shropshire were Rookie Draft selections and Taylor was a post-draft free agent claim. Moore and Okeke were key offensive line contributors for the Renegades and Brahmas respectively last season. The turnover at wide receiver is fascinating; Since the end of January, the team has signed six free agents at the position. Four of them were waived in first cuts. They only have seven receivers currently listed on their roster, so this may be a spot the team looks to add bodies after scouring other teams’ cuts. As for Neal, UFL Newsroom’s Christian Paolantonio reports that Neal has not reported to training camp due to an injury, which explains his appearance on the reserve list.
San Antonio Brahmas
Cuts: K Matt Ammendola (FA 1/19), WR Dieuly Aristilde (DDS), DE Drew Beesley (DDP), DE Kwabena Bonsu (FA 2/19), DT Trey Botts (SDD R2, 9), OL Michael Brown (DDP), WR Cody Chrest (SDD R10, 73), LB Omari Cobb (DDS), OL Connor Davis (FA 2/26), CB Benjie Franklin (FA 1/19), C Evan Heim (DDP), DE Jason Lewan (FA 1/19), CB Ryan Lewis (DDP), CB Mac McCain III (FA 1/22), DE Ryan Mueller (FA 1/31), LB Marvin Pierre (DDS), RB Jaylen Samuels (DDS), CB Vernon Scott (FA 1/19), WR Kade Warner (DDS)
Claimed off waivers:WR Matt Landers (Arlington)
Analysis: Notably, San Antonio is down to 57 players, giving them room to add one more without having to make an accompanying release. Perhaps no team will look more different from 2023 to 2024 than the Brahmas not only in terms of personnel, but scheme as well. Several dispersal draft selections that were released had ties to the Roughnecks staff that came over to San Antonio. Fans who thought the signing of Deestroying, Donald De La Haye, was just a publicity stunt may be eating crow, as he made the team over Ammendola, who kicked in the NFL in 2023. Perhaps no player will be under more scrutiny than Deestroying, however. Beesley had 5.5 sacks and an interception returned for touchdown for the Brahmas last season, so his cut constitutes a surprise. San Antonio has been active in free agency since that phase began in January, and several of those additions were among the transactions made on Sunday. The acquisition of Landers off waivers was the only waiver claim processed by the league after first cuts. Expect more in the coming days.
St. Louis Battlehawks
Cuts: DE Mandy Alonso (SDD R6, 44), WR James Bostic (DDP), CB Montrae Braswell (DDP), S Anthony Cioffi (DDS), DE Marcus Cushnie (DDP), DE John Daka (SDD R4, 28), TE Kemore Gamble (DDP), CB Prince Charles Iworah (DDP), WR Kevon Latulas (DDP), K Andrew Mevis (FA 1/26), G Christian Olmstead (SDD R8, 60), DE Jadrian Taylor (DDP), OT Jazston Turnetine (DDS), CB Anthony Witherstone (DDP), DT McKinley Williams (FA 2/15)
Injured Reserve: OT Sage Doxtater
Analysis: Head Coach Anthony Becht was blunt on social media today about how difficult the job is for a coach to have this conversation with players. St. Louis seems to be going with more of a veteran roster, as most of their cuts were young players. In fact, five of the players released were among the 10 players the team selected in the Rookie Draft. One other was a rookie free agent claim after the draft. In a recent media interview, Becht mentioned carrying three running backs on the opening day roster while having four in camp; he listed Latulas among the four, so they appear down to their final three at that position. Barring a late move at the spot, Mevis lost out on the kicking job to Andre Szmyt. Olmstead is the only player cut who was on the roster last year, and he was a deep reserve that was often inactive on gameday. Daka’s release may come as a mild surprise – he had 4.5 sacks in eight starts for the Houston Roughnecks in 2023.
