Former Stallions Signing With Other Teams/Leagues
The Birmingham Stallions have often been measured by their success in getting players to the NFL level, however, one thing I don’t believe is discussed enough is how few of their players who have been released this offseason remained free agents. Let’s take a closer look at the players let go by the Stallions during the 2024 cut-downs and talk about where they have signed since.
The Stallions Released 24 Total Players During Cut Downs
The stallions parted ways with a total of 26 players, watching two retire, and releasing 24. Since the cut-down date, several of these players have already signed new deals with other teams. Some have remained within the UFL, while some made the jump to the CFL.
Channing Stribling
Stribling is the name I never expected to see released from any UFL team he was signed by given the success he has found in the USFL and leagues like it in the past. Stribling was sought after by more than one team and it showed when he was signed by St. Louis. The Battlehawks had previously expressed their interest in Stribling when they selected him in the 2023 XFL draft. Ultimately Stribling decided to return to the USFL playing for the Philadelphia Stars for a second season.
This season did not go as planned for Stribling and he missed some time due to injuries. On paper, it looks like a dramatic drop-off from his first season with the USFL in 2022 when he led the league in interceptions. Regardless, he was still one of the top cover corners in the league, in terms of overall talent and production throughout his career. This led the Stallions to take a look at him in the dispersal draft loading up on secondary players, they brought in several different names who had NFL ties before signing with UFL. This muddied the waters and allowed two big fish to swim right off the roster and onto others.
Terrell Bonds
Bonds was another one of the more surprising cuts from the Stallions. Although their secondary was loaded from top to bottom with talented players, who had been in the NFL, Bonds had made his way back on an NFL roster, following his stint with the Maulers in 2022. Signing with the Tennessee Titans. He spent the 2023 season in the XFL, before watching his name, be selected by the Stallions in the dispersal draft.
Now he heads up to the CFL, having signed a deal with Winnipeg Blue Bombers a team that has become known as a perennial Grey Cup contender. He goes from one championship-level roster to another, but the question is, will he make this roster?
James Wiggins
Wiggins was an interesting case who had seen CFL interest before signing with the Stallions before 2024. This meant, if, and when he was let go by the UFL, he would likely have a soft landing spot in the CFL. This turned out to be exactly what happened to Wiggins. The Birmingham stallions would opt to release Wiggins in the first round of cuts. This allowed Wiggins to go ahead and pursue his other opportunities with the CFL, specifically the Edmonton Elks. Wiggins will now attempt to compete for a roster spot with Edmonton giving himself a second lease on his playing career for the 2024 season.
Cohl Cabral
Cabral barely even experienced free agency when let go by the Stallions, signing with the Michigan Panthers just hours after his release.
Adding depth at center for Michigan was a must before the season. This prompted them to jump on signing Cabral. Cabral played for the Stallions in 2023 before signing with the Arizona Cardinals returning to where he played his college ball. He didn’t stick due to the rather short audition and ended up back in the UFL. Now Michigan is the beneficiary of his experience in 2024.
O’Shea Dugas
Dugas was released in the final round of cuts. Typically, these players are kept on a shortlist for the team they were with before their release. This was very much the case for Dugas, who has already re-signed with the Birmingham Stallions following the week one victory. Dugas was immediately transferred to the inactive list but it’s still a positive development for the young lineman. It certainly beats being a free agent.
The Stallions released 24 players before the 2024 season and watched a couple more starters waltz into retirement. Even though these players were released by Birmingham it hasn’t stopped them from finding interest elsewhere. Whether it be for an opposing UFL team, the CFL, or even indoors, Stallions players are in high demand right now.
If you need further evidence look back at this offseason where the Stallions were one of the only teams to swing more than one trade for back-end roster players that were in danger of being cut anyway. This allowed them to bring in other players to push for a role, although at this point the players acquired via trade are all now free agents. I am positive by the end of the UFL season we will have seen at least five more of these players signed or re-signed.
If you like the UFL check out our weekly show about the league where we recap games, big news, and transactions EVERY Saturday Night at 9:30 pm ET.
Help Us Improve!
We value your feedback and want to make the UFL News Hub better for you. Please take a moment to complete our survey and share your thoughts with us.
Thank you for your support!
