Paxton Lynch Moving From CFL To USFL
Paxton Lynch has not attempted a regular-season NFL pass since his final Broncos start, in Week 17 of the 2017 season. The former first-round pick is about to try another league.
Lynch requested his release from the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, with his agent noting the well-traveled QB eyed a path to the new USFL (Twitter links). Canada’s stricter COVID-19 regulations played a role in this exit, and Lynch will receive another opportunity as a pro.
The Michigan Panthers selected Lynch in the 12th round of the USFL draft Tuesday night. Lynch, the 26th overall pick in 2016, was one of a host of familiar names taken by the latest upstart league. Michigan selected Lynch, 28, in the second round designated for quarterbacks. He did not play in any games with the Roughriders, with that stay following non-game-action runs with the Seahawks and Steelers.
The USFL event started with a QB round, during which Michigan selected ex-Wolverines QB Shea Patterson first overall. In Round 1, recent Patterson Chiefs teammate Jordan Ta’amu — also an XFL veteran — along with ex-Giants draftee Kyle Lauletta and ex-Vikings backup Kyle Sloter were selected.
The New Jersey Generals chose cornerback De’Vante Bausby in the eighth round. Bausby has considerable NFL experience, compared to most of the other players drafted over the past two days, having played for four teams from 2016-20. Bausby enjoyed two stints with the Broncos, making 20 tackles in 10 Denver games in 2020. He finished the 2021 season on the Patriots’ practice squad.
Ex-Packer wideout draftee J’Mon Moore landed with the Generals as well, and former Titans third-round pick Taywan Taylor went to the New Orleans Breakers today. The Breakers also drafted ex-Washington supplemental draftee Adonis Alexander, a defensive back. Fellow NFL supplemental draftee Isaiah Battle, a tackle, went to the Pittsburgh Maulers on Tuesday night. The Tampa Bay Bandits also selected ex-Raiders second-round safety Obi Melifonwu.
The USFL’s second effort, after a memorable mid-1980s run, is set to begin play April 16. All games will be played in Birmingham. The championship game is scheduled for July 3, in Canton. Should the USFL’s second effort reach the championship game, it would surpass 2019’s Alliance of American Football and 2020’s second XFL iteration. Both recent spring startups folded before their seasons ended, though a retooled XFL is set to return in 2023 and secured a formal partnership with the NFL.
XFL Draft Day 1 Fallout
The XFL’s two-day draft began Tuesday. In addition to certain quarterbacks being assigned to teams, several notable players went off the board in the rebooting league’s selection event.
The league divided its draft into sections. Skill-position players (and other quarterbacks) went in one portion of the draft, with offensive linemen going second and then select defenders in another section. Connor Cook was the first quarterback to go in the non-allocation portion of the draft, being selected by the Houston franchise at No. 2 overall.
Here are some recent NFL skill-position players taken:
- RB Christine Michael (No. 6 overall, St. Louis)
- WR Tommylee Lewis (No. 13, Dallas)
- WR Sammie Coates (No. 18, Houston)
- RB Cameron Artis-Payne (No. 20, Dallas)
- TE Jace Amaro (No. 26, Seattle)
- WR Keenan Reynolds (No. 39, Seattle)
- RB Matt Jones (No. 54, St. Louis)
- RB Lance Dunbar (No. 61, Dallas)
- QB Tyree Jackson (No. 65, Washington)
- RB Andre Williams (No. 66, Houston)
Here are the notable offensive linemen selected in that section of the draft:
- T Isaiah Battle (No. 2, Seattle)
- T Matt McCants (No. 3, St. Louis)
- T Kyle Murphy (No. 8, Washington)
- T Cyrus Kouandjio (No. 11, New York)
Lastly, some front-seven names of note came off in that part of this event:
- LB Ben Heeney (No. 7, New York)
- LB Hau’oli Kikaha (No. 8, Dallas)
- DT Sealver Siliga (No. 9, Dallas)
- LB Terence Garvin (No. 15, St. Louis)
- DL Tenny Palepoi (No. 30, Seattle)
- DE Jacquies Smith (No. 45, Seattle)
- LB Steven Johnson (No. 46, Seattle)
For a full team-by-team breakdown, Sporting News cataloged the first parts of this event.
Panthers Cut S Da’Norris Searcy
The Panthers cut safety Da’Norris Searcy, according to a team announcement. In a related move, the club also waived offensive tackle Isaiah Battle. 
Searcy joined the Panthers on a two-year, $5.7MM deal lasty offseason with the ability to make up to $3.1MM in 2017. A former fourth-round pick, Searcy managed 12 tackles and one interception in his first year with Carolina while grading as the NFL’s No. 61 safety among 87 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Last year, Searcy missed eight games due to a pair of concussions suffered in September and did not make it back to the field despite being designated for return in late November. By releasing him, the Panthers will incur a modest $650K cap hit while saving $1.76MM.
Without Searcy, 2018 third-round pick Rashaan Gaulden appears to be in line for a starting safety spot opposite of Eric Reid. It’s also possible that the Panthers could add a veteran safety in the offseason to compete for the gig.
Battle, 26, joined Carolina on a futures deal in January. The 6’7″ Clemson product has bounced around the league since entering as a supplemental pick of the Rams in 2015, but has yet to see live action.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 12/31/18
New Year’s Eve marks the first day eliminated teams can sign players to reserve/futures contracts. Here is the first wave of those decisions:
Arizona Cardinals
- OL Justin Evans
- OL Will House
- QB Chad Kanoff
- CB Jonathan Moxey
- CB Deatrick Nichols
- LB Pete Robertson
- OL Coleman Shelton
- RB Brandon Wilds
Atlanta Falcons
- QB Kurt Benkert
- WR Christian Blake
- CB Taveze Calhoun
- LB Jermaine Grace
- TE Jaeden Graham
- TE Alex Gray
- WR Devin Gray
- OL Sean Harlow
- DL Jacob Tuioti-Mariner
Carolina Panthers
- T Isaiah Battle
- DB Quin Blanding
- RB Reggie Bonnafon
- LB Brandon Chubb
- DT Woodrow Hamilton
- WR Andre Levrone
- DB Cole Luke
- DB Kai Nacua
- DT Elijah Qualls
- G Ian Silberman
- G Landon Turner
- WR DeAndrew White
- LB Antwione Williams
Detroit Lions
- WR Deontez Alexander
- LB Garret Dooley
- S David Jones
- OL Jarron Jones
- DE Jonathan Wynn
Green Bay Packers
- TE Evan Baylis
- DL Eric Cotton
- T Gerhard de Beer
- G Anthony Coyle
- FB Malcolm Johnson
- S Tray Matthews
- WR Teo Redding
- LB Brady Sheldon
- DL Deon Simon
- S Jason Thompson
Minnesota Vikings
- WR Jeff Badet
- LB Reshard Cliett
- DL Curtis Cothran
- DB Jalen Myrick
- RB Roc Thomas
New York Giants
Pittsburgh Steelers
- WR Trey Griffey
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- T Cole Boozer
- WR K.J. Brent
- DE Demone Harris
- G Ruben Holcomb
- DE Farrington Huguenin
- DE Patrick O’Connor
- RB Dare Ogunbowale
- LB Emmanuel Smith
Tennessee Titans
- RB Dalyn Dawkins
- OL Jamil Douglas
- CB Mike Jordan
- WR Roger Lewis
- OLB Gimel President
- OL David Quessenberry
- WR Kalif Raymond
- WR Devin Ross
- S Damon Webb
Washington Redskins
- C Casey Dunn
- WR Carlos Henderson
- T Roubbens Joseph
- WR ArDarius Stewart
- RB Elijah Wellman
- DT JoJo Wicker
NFL Workout Updates: 12/25/18
Today’s workouts, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter):
Green Bay Packers
- TE: Evan Bayliss
Houston Texans
- LB: Cory James
San Francisco 49ers
- DE: Damontre Moore
Seattle Seahawks
- CB: Quinten Rollins; SS’s: Keith Tandy, Shamarko Thomas
Tennessee Titans
- DEs: Christian LaCouture, Kendall Vickers; DT: Dee Liner
Washington Redskins
- TE: Jace Amaro; Ts: Isaiah Battle, Cyrus Kouandjio, Darius James; DL: Kwaku Boateng (EDM CFL); QBs: Max Browne, Joe Callahan; LBs: Marquis Flowers, Hau’oli Kikaha, Corey Nelson, John Timu; WRs: Carlos Henderson, ArDarius Stewart, Tre McBride, Devin Smith.
NFL Workout Updates: 12/24/18
Today’s workouts, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter):
Cincinnati Bengals:
- K’s Ty Long (BC CFL), Tristan Vizcaino
Detroit Lions:
- LSs Justin Drescher, Taybor Pepper, Zach Triner; TE Erik Swoope; RB Kerwynn Williams
Indianapolis Colts:
- S Harold Jones-Quartey; LB Chris Odom; WR Brian Quick; Julius Warmsley
Kansas City Chiefs:
- LB Josh Keyes, RB Terry Swanson
New York Giants:
- DEs Tobi Antigha (SASK), Jake Ceresna (EDM); QB Bo Levi Mitchell (CALG); WRs Bryant Mitchell (EDM), Jordan Williams-Lambert (SASK); RB Terry Williams
Philadelphia Eagles:
- WRs Carlton Agudosi, Marken Michel (CALG), Devin Smith; DB Mercy Maston (EDM); LBs Alex Singleton (CALG), Jameer Thurman (CALG)
Pittsburgh Steelers:
- QB Max Browne; LB Sam Eguavoen (SASK); DE Avery Ellis (OTT); WR Dominique Rhymes (OTT
Tennessee Titans:
- WRs Kaelin Clay, Kalif Raymond; LB Tyrone Holmes; RB Akeem Hunt; DE Hau’oli Kikaha; LB Anthony Winbush
Washington Redskins:
- QBs Max Browne and Joe Callahan, WRs Tre McBride and Carlos Henderson, TE Jace Amaro, OTs Isaiah Battle and Cyrus Kouandjio, DE Hau’oli Kikaha and LB Corey Nelson
This time of year, a lot of teams are auditioning guys for potential reserve/futures deals to be a part of their 90-man rosters for 2019. It’s also common to see a lot of CFL guys getting looks this time of year, because players participating in the 2018 CFL season aren’t eligible to sign NFL contracts until after the regular season is over.
NFL Workout Updates: 12/4/18
Here is the latest from the workout circuit. All links to NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account, unless otherwise noted.
Arizona Cardinals
- LB Jonathan Anderson, WR Daniel Braverman, WR Malachi Dupre, OT Justin Evans, LB Josh Keyes, LB Korey Toomer
Buffalo Bills
- WR WR Da’Mari Scott (visit)
Carolina Panthers
- OT Isaiah Battle, S Quin Blanding, WR Daryl Boggan, LB Jonathan Celestin, S Marwin Evans, LB Kennan Gilchrist, TE DeAndre Goolsby, DT Woodrow Hamilton, CB Bryce Jones, WR Andre Levrone, S Kai Nacua, DE Whitney Richardson, QB Brogan Roback, CB Henre’ Toliver, RB Terron Ward, LB Antwione Williams, OT Darrell Williams, DE Jonathan Wynn
Detroit Lions
- RB Mack Brown, RB Demario Richard, RB Justin Stockton
Green Bay Packers
- S Tray Matthews, LB Dadi Nicolas, DE Ja’Von Rolland-Jones, S Jason Thompson
Indianapolis Colts
- WR Tanner McEvoy, WR Jordan Veasy
Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins
- LB James Burgess, LB Sam Eguavoen, LB Corey Nelson
New York Jets
Oakland Raiders
Pittsburgh Steelers
- RB Joel Bouagnon, RB Kenneth Farrow
Washington Redskins
- OG Zac Kerin, OG Chris Scott
NFL Workout Updates: 11/20/18
Here’s the latest from the workout circuit (all via SiriusXM’s Adam Caplan on Twitter):
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Denver Broncos
- OL Don Barclay, OT Isaiah Battle, OL Austin Pasztor
NFL Workout Updates: 11/5/18
Here’s the latest from the workout circuit. All links go to Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan Twitter account, unless otherwise noted.
Cleveland Browns
- T Isaiah Battle, K Jon Brown, RB Josh Ferguson, K Sam Ficken, CB Dontae Johnson, K Marshall Koehn, K Younghoe Koo, K Tyler Rausa, LS Zach Triner, P Ryan Winslow (Twitter links via Caplan and NFL reporter Howard Balzer
Cincinnati Bengals
- QB Connor Cook, WR Chad Hansen, WR Korey Robertson, TE Andrew Vollert (Twitter link via Balzer)
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
- WR Aaron Burbridge, WR Brice Butler (link)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- LB Marquis Flowers (link)
Oakland Raiders
- RB Travaris Cadet, DE Kony Ealy, DE Terrence Fede, RB Jeremy Langford, DE Ryan Russell, RB Fitzgerald Toussaint (link)
Philadelphia Eagles
- DT T.Y. McGill (link)
NFL Workout Updates: 9/24/18
Today’s workout updates are below. There were some notable names, including veteran quarterback Landry Jones, who was released by the Steelers at final cuts.
Cleveland Browns
- DTs Josh Banks, Henry Mondeaux, Aziz Shittu; TEs Pharaoh Brown, Donnie Ernsberger; LBs Obum Gwacham, Calvin Munson, Jacob Pugh; DEs Anthony Lanier, Damontre Moore; CB Kalan Reed
Indianapolis Colts
- WR Reggie Davis; S Marwin Evans; CB D.J. Killings; DE Cameron Malveaux; OTs Rees Odhiambo, William Poehls, De’Ondre Wesley
New England Patriots
- QB Landry Jones; CB David Amerson; WR Dontrelle Inman
New York Jets
- OL Isaiah Battle, Austin Pasztor; LBs Gimel President, Aaron Wallace; WR Ka’Raun White
Looks like the Browns are searching for defensive help, working out a slew of players on that side of the ball. Jones working out for the Patriots is interesting, as he isn’t really young enough to be seen as a developmental project, and Brian Hoyer is entrenched as Tom Brady‘s backup.