In order to curate the 75-man rosters each UFL team will take into training camp, the league went through several phases of player acquisition. The first phase was a protection and dispersal draft, followed by the second phase, a super dispersal draft. Finally, on January 16, a free agency period began where any players not signed to other professional leagues could be acquired.
I broke down the first two phases by conference here at UFLBoard.com – USFL Conference and XFL Conference protections and dispersal draft, followed by the USFL Conference and XFL Conference super dispersal draft. I would be doing a disservice – not to mention activating my football OCD – if I didn’t also provide analysis of additions via free agency.
Training camp rosters were supposed to be locked in by February 14; however, teams continued to add players beyond that date (or those additions were simply made public by the UFL after that point). Throughout camp, teams will continue to add and subtract from their 75-man squads. For the purpose of this column, I’ll grade each team’s work in free agency from January 16 through February 23, when players began to report to Arlington.
Free Agent Additions (17): TE Austin Allen, WR Isaiah Winstead, LB Marquel Lee, DT Trevon Coley, OT Noah Henderson, WR Matt Landers, S Myles Dorn, CB Elijah Hamilton, G Jordan Steckler, WR Sy Barnett, DT Doug Costin, CB Duron Lowe, LB Jordan Wright, QB Drew Plitt, S Tenny Adewusi, DT Darrius Moragne, QB Luis Perez
Analysis: The biggest addition was the last one, Perez, who completely changed the Renegades from an also-ran into an XFL Championship team last season after he was acquired from Vegas. Arlington picked up players from all over: Two were selected in the rookie draft but had not yet signed letters of intent (Barnett, Wright); one was an undrafted free agent claimed after the rookie draft (Henderson); Hamilton was a former Battlehawk released to go to training camp with the Green Bay Packers over the summer. Adewusi led the Brahmas in interceptions last season and was second in tackles. Costin, Plitt, and Perez were all Renegades last season. Then there are those, like Allen, Lee, Landers, and Dorn who have either been on the cusp of NFL rosters or, in the case of Lee, have significant NFL experience (45 games, 19 starts). Perez’s return immediately gives them a passing grade, but they upgraded depth almost everywhere on the roster.
Additions (10): LB Ferrod Gardner, RB Darius Hagans, S Sam Kidd, WR Trea Shropshire, G Sadarius Hutcherson, TE Shaun Beyer, CB Deandre Baker, TE Ben Bresnahan, WR John Hightower, QB Jordan Ta’amu
Analysis: It takes someone with a special set of skills to run this particular offense under second-year coordinator Fred Kaiss. Without Ta’amu, it’s unlikely that side of the ball would hum the way it did last year. With Ta’amu and RB Abram Smith both returning, the Defenders should once again be a championship contender. Ta’amu’s return wasn’t guaranteed, so the D.C. fanbase no doubt breathed a sigh of relief when his signing was made official. The Defenders were relatively quiet otherwise in free agency, save for a high-upside signing in Baker, a former NFL first-round draft pick. With Josh Hammond announcing his retirement on Saturday night, Hightower, a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, could be a potential replacement. Had Ta’amu not come back, this grade would be much lower.
Defenders Grade: B+
#40 Ryan Mueller – XFL Arlington Renegades 2023
San Antonio Brahmas
Additions (31): K Matt Ammendola, OT Greg Eiland, OT Chuck Filiaga, CB Benjie Franklin, QB Chase Garbers, CB Gavin Heslop, LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe, OT Derrick Kelly, WR Jontre Kirklin, DL Terrance Lang, DL Jason Lewan, RB John Lovett, TE Alize Mack, LB Zach McCloud, LB Garrett Nelson, S Scott Nelson, CB Darius Phillips, S Vernon Scott, WR Marquez Stevenson, OL Jarrid Williams, CB Mac McCain, DT Caeveon Patton, DE Delontae Scott, LS Rex Sunahara, K Donald De La Haye, QB Tom Flacco, LB Ryan Mueller, RB Anthony McFarland, DT Jacob Sykes, P Brad Wing, DE Kwabena Bonsu
Analysis: Phew. Over 40% of the players camping with San Antonio will have been signed via free agency. At one point, combining their protections, dispersal selections and free agent signings, the Brahmas had over 90 men on their off-season roster. It’s been a busy month for General Manager Marc Lillibridge, who has had scant little time to remake the team in the image of Wade Phillips’ desired defense and coordinator AJ Smith’s desired scheme on offense. Only 14 of the 42 players the team protected prior to the dispersal draft are listed on the training camp roster. The Brahmas will look a lot more like an expansion team and it will be interesting to see how quickly Phillips and the coaching staff can get these players to gel when most other squads are on year two or three together. From a pure talent standpoint, there’s a lot to like about the additions made here.
Additions (16): WR Marcell Ateman, WR Jerome Kapp, WR Darrius Shepherd, DT Kobe Smith, WR Jeff Thomas, LS Alex Matheson, K Andre Szmyt, K Andrew Mevis, RB Wayne Gallman, CB Lavert Hill, RB Jacob Saylors, QB Brandon Silvers, OT Jaryd Jones-Smith, DT McKinley Williams, QB AJ McCarron, DT Austin Faoliu.
Analysis: Like they have all off-season, St. Louis concentrated most on getting the band back together from 2023. Six of the 16 signings were re-signings, continuity that will only help the team take that next step. Three of the four XFL Conference teams were waiting for word on their QB from last season to return, and all three received good news on that front. For St. Louis, McCarron is the straw that stirs the offensive drink. Silvers, a starter last year for the Roughnecks, will slide in as a dependable backup. They’ll be starting over at RB with Brian Hill not returning and their presumed starter acquired from Houston, Max Borghi, deciding to retire. Gallman and Saylors will try to pick up the load there, and they’ll have last season’s backup, Mataeo Durant, ready to step in as well. Special teams were upgraded by getting both Shepherd (kick and punt returns) and Matheson back, and a kicking competition between two youngsters will decide that position.
