Rod Smith

Vic Beasley, Martavis Bryant, Josh Gordon, Marquette King On XFL Rosters

The XFL will begin its third try next week. The rebooting league’s latest season will begin Feb. 18, nearly two months before USFL 2.0’s second season is scheduled to start.

This setup will make for a strange winter-spring period in which two minor leagues of sorts will be in operation. Considering the short tenures of XFL 2.0 (2020) and the Alliance of American Football (2019), this will be one of the more interesting years for non-NFL football.

Numerous former NFLers line the XFL’s season-opening rosters. Here are some of the players who will be part the league’s latest eight-team configuration. The full rosters can be found here.

Arlington Renegades

King has not punted since the 2018 season, when the Broncos waived him not long after signing the veteran specialist to a multiyear deal. King, 34, punted for the Raiders for five seasons.

D.C. Defenders

Armstead received workout opportunities and landed with multiple teams, but the former Jaguars backup has been unable to regain his footing since missing all of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 complications. A former Packers second-round pick, Murphy has six NFL seasons under his belt. Reid, 31, played eight NFL seasons — most recently suiting up in 2021 — and was a regular for the Lions early in his career. Brice started 10 games for the Packers in 2018; he has not played since.

Houston Roughnecks

Davis started 42 games for the Steelers from 2017-19; he played with three teams during the 2021 season. A

Orlando Guardians

Elam logged 26 starts for the Ravens, but his NFL run stopped after the 2016 season. A former Broncos second-round pick, Latimer played six NFL seasons and ended up a 10-game starter for the Giants in 2019. Lynch was part of the 2016 and ’17 Broncos squads along with Latimer but, despite his first-round status, flamed out of the league after two seasons. He has since spent time in the CFL and USFL.

San Antonio Brahmas

Ballage did not play in the NFL this season but saw action in 17 games for the Steelers in 2021. Wing served as the Giants’ punter for three seasons. Sinnett was with the Dolphins this season, joining the team following Tua Tagovailoa‘s Week 4 concussion.

Seattle Sea Dragons

The biggest name in this XFL edition, Gordon became a journeyman in recent years. He was most recently with the Titans, catching on with Tennessee this year before being released in October. The former All-Pro spent the 2021 season with the Chiefs. Suspensions hijacked the 31-year-old pass catcher’s career. The Cowboys cut DiNucci just before this season, and while workout opportunities came, the former emergency Dallas starter will try his hand in the XFL.

St. Louis BattleHawks

Although McCarron’s most recent action came with the Texans, he was on the 2021 Falcons. A path toward being Matt Ryan‘s final backup in Atlanta closed after a preseason ACL tear. Workouts in 2022 did not lead to a signing.

Vegas Vipers

A former top-10 pick and NFL sack leader, Beasley has been out of the league since the 2020 season. The ex-Super Bowl starter’s one-year, $9.5MM deal did not work out for the Titans, who cut the edge rusher during the ’20 campaign. Bryant has been out of the league longer, with suspensions altering his path. The talented ex-Steeler spent time in Canada recently. Hundley was on the Ravens’ practice squad until season’s end this year, signing with the team after Lamar Jackson‘s ankle injury.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/21

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Atlanta Falcons 

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

  • Reverted to IR: OT Cody Conway

Green Bay Packers

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

  • Waived: QB Case Cookus

New Orleans Saints

  • Waived: DE Kendall Donnerson

New York Jets

  • Reverted to IR: S Brandon White

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Reverted to IR: G Anthony Coyle

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

RBs Spencer Ware, Rod Smith To Work Out For Bears

The Bears will have a pair of veteran running backs in for workouts. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that Spencer Ware and Rod Smith are set to audition for the team.

Chicago doesn’t necessarily need any help at running back. Following a slow start to the season, David Montgomery has really picked it up recently; the 23-year-old has 288 rushing yards, 121 receiving yards, and four touchdowns over his past three games. Veteran Cordarrelle Patterson has also been a solid backup, as he’s hauled in 20 receptions through 13 games.

Still, the Bears are presumably looking for a replacement for Lamar Miller, who joined the team’s practice squad in early October. The former Pro Bowler was poached by Washington yesterday, and Chicago clearly doesn’t have an issue giving that practice-squad spot to a veteran.

So, in comes Ware and Smith for workouts. Ware has the most starting experience of the duo, mostly via a 2016 campaign when he rushed for 921 yards and three scores in 14 starts. After missing the entire 2017 season due to injury, Ware returned to (mostly) a backup role in 2018. He had a brief stint with Indy in 2019 before rejoining the Chiefs. After ending the 2019 season on IR, the 29-year-old hasn’t been able to find a new gig in 2020.

Smith spent most of his first four seasons in the NFL as Ezekiel Elliott‘s backup in Dallas. Following a 2018 campaign where he averaged only 2.9 yards per carry, Smith didn’t get any carries in six games last season with the Titans and Raiders. He joined the Giants practice squad earlier this season but was released a few weeks later.

Giants Add Alfred Morris To Practice Squad

Alfred Morris has resurfaced on the NFL radar. The eight-year veteran running back agreed to join the Giants’ practice squad, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.

The Giants added Morris and quarterback Clayton Thorson to its taxi squad. Morris has been out of the NFL since the Cardinals released him in November 2019. To make room on their 16-man P-squad, the Giants cut running back Rod Smith and quarterback Cooper Rush.

This will bring a former Jason Garrett charge to New York. The Giants OC coached the former Pro Bowler in two seasons in Dallas. Morris served as Ezekiel Elliott‘s backup/suspension fill-in from 2016-17 but is certainly best known for his time in Washington.

Morris, now 31, strung together three straight 1,000-yard seasons with Washington and made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and ’14. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry with the 2017 Cowboys and gained 428 yards as a 49er in 2018. He played in one Cardinals game.

The Giants are down Saquon Barkley for the season, leaving them with Wayne Gallman, offseason addition Dion Lewis and recent signing Devonta Freeman. They rank last in the NFL in rushing, having gained just 170 yards (3.2 per carry) in three games.

Thorson spent time on the Cowboys’ practice squad in Garrett’s final season, playing behind Rush — who resided on Dallas’ active roster. The Giants brought Smith back earlier this month.

Raiders Release Rod Smith, Jordan Devey

The Raiders removed a player from their suddenly crowded backfield Tuesday, releasing Rod Smith. They also released veteran guard Jordan Devey.

Smith signed with the Raiders in December 2019 and played in three games. But the team since added Devontae Booker, Lynn Bowden Jr. and Theo Riddick to a backfield already housing Josh Jacobs and Jalen Richard.

Smith, 28, is a vested veteran and will return to free agency. He is best known for his years backing up Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas but has been on three teams — the Giants, Titans and Raiders — since 2019.

Las Vegas also re-signed Devey this offseason, bringing back the former 49ers and Chiefs lineman in April. However, the Raiders drafted guard John Simpson in the draft a few weeks later. They still have starters Gabe Jackson and Richie Incognito, with Simpson and Denzelle Good supplying depth. A six-year veteran, Devey played in four Raiders games last season before heading to IR with a torn pectoral muscle.

In additional roster-clearing moves, the Raiders waived linebacker Sharif Finch and guard Jordan Roos.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/18/20

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the afternoon.

Cleveland Browns

  • Waived/injured: DE George Obinna

Dallas Cowboys

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

Seattle Seahawks

Raiders Make Flurry Of Roster Moves

Oakland is coming off three straight lopsided defeats, and in the wake of the embarrassments Jon Gruden is reshuffling his roster. The Raiders are waiving veteran defensive players D.J. Swearinger, Preston Brown, and Terrell McClain while signing running back Rod Smith, the team announced today.

They also placed rookie tight end Foster Moreau on injured reserve, which was expected. Oakland has given up at least 40 points in back to back weeks, and Gruden made it clear he isn’t happy with the defensive effort. Brown, an inside linebacker, had been with the Bengals for most of this season and was starting for them before he was scooped up by the Raiders prior to this week’s loss to the Titans. Brown started almost every game for the Bills from 2014-17, but he lasted only one game with Oakland. McClain started the season with Kansas City before latching on with the Raiders for the last few games.

Swearinger was picked up by Oakland after the Cardinals cut him earlier this season, and he started three of his four games with the Raiders including their most recent loss to Tennessee. He’ll get a shot elsewhere in 2020 if not sooner. Smith is a former Cowboys backup running back, and his signing could indicate that workhorse back Josh Jacobs won’t be ready to return this week.

The shakeup comes as the Raiders’ playoff hopes have been all but dashed. Just a few weeks ago they were looking good at 6-4, but they collapsed in epic fashion. Gruden promised there would be changes following their most recent loss, and he delivered by sending almost all of their recently added guys packing.

NFL Workout Updates: 11/18/19

Today’s updates from the workout circuit:

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

Titans Waive RB Rod Smith

Rod Smith‘s stint with the Titans has come to an end. Jim Wyatt of the team’s website reports (via Twitter) that the team has waived the veteran running back. The Titans promoted offensive lineman Daniel Munyer from the practice squad to take the open roster spot.

The 2015 undrafted free agent out of Ohio State quickly found a home in Dallas, as he spent three-plus years with the Cowboys. Smith saw some extended work during Ezekiel Elliott‘s six-game suspension in 2017. Playing behind Alfred Morris, Smith ran for 232 yards and four touchdowns on 55 carries. He also added 19 catches for 202 yards and one score.

However, with Zeke back in the fold for the 2018 campaign, Smith didn’t see nearly as many opportunities on offense. The running back finished the campaign with 187 total yards, although he did finish with a career-high nine special teams tackles.

Smith signed with the Giants this offseason, but after landing on injured reserve in late August, he was released with an injury settlement. The 27-year-old caught on with the Titans in early October, appearing in three games with his new squad.

Munyer, 27, has bounced around the NFL since going undrafted out of Colorado in 2015. The lineman appeared in a career-high 14 games for the Cardinals last season. He’s spent most of the season on the Titans practice squad.