First Wave of Cuts for San Antonio Brahmas Includes Former NFL Running Back
San Antonio Brahmas head coach Wade Phillips had the tough mission of taking over a roster he did not create, having only about two months to put it all together before training camp. Now he has that training camp roster down to 56 players.
On Sunday, the Brahmas released 19 players ahead of the second half of training camp:
- K Matt Ammendola
- WR Dieuly Aristilde
- DE Drew Beesley
- DE Kwabena Bonsu
- DT Trey Botts
- OL Michael Brown
- WR Cody Chrest
- LB Omari Cobb
- OL Connor Davis
- CB Benjie Franklin
- C Evan Heim
- DE Jason Lewan
- CB Ryan Lewis
- CB Mac McCain III
- LB Ryan Mueller
- LB Marvin Pierre
- RB Jaylen Samuels
- CB Vernon Scott
- WR Kade Warner
Looking at the top of the list, Ammendola is a bit of a surprise as he has plenty of NFL experience, including the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans. This leaves the door open for YouTube star Donald De La Haye, or “Deestroying," to win the kicker job for the Brahmas.
Today, the San Antonio Brahmas set their roster to 56 players, as they prepare for the upcoming inaugural UFL season. pic.twitter.com/SvT0VkIWsV
— UFL Communications Department (@UFL_PR) March 10, 2024
Beesley was a surprise release after a strong 2023 campaign in the XFL with San Antonio in which he posted 27 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Beesley may not have been a fit in Phillips’ defense, but he is one of the best pass rushers in the UFL, nonetheless. He could be a name to watch out for in free agency.
Samuels might have had some stiff competition at running back, but with his NFL experience, most assumed he had a good shot at making the roster. He has rushed for a total of 468 yards and one score to go with 564 receiving yards and four more touchdowns in his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals. Now the running back room consists of Brycen Alleyne, John Lovett and Anthony McFarland Jr.
UFL teams will need to make final roster cutdowns on March 23.
San Antonio Brahmas Add Two Players, Including Former Carolina Panthers Center
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Anthony Miller has been covering professional spring football since 2019 including XFL, USFL, and CFL. He was a local news reporter in Texas before transitioning to sports. Other sites he writes for includes College Football Network and NTZ Network.