The Houston Gamblers are off to a 2-3 start on the 2026 UFL season and have some work to do to get back on track.
That led to some big roster changes, as the UFL Communications Department announced on X that the Gamblers signed wide receiver Kaden Davis and cornerback Ameer Speed. Houston also released cornerback B.J. Mayes and wide receiver LuJuan Winningham.
This season, Winningham caught three passes for 36 yards while Mayes posted 12 tackles. Davis spent time in the USFL with the Michigan Panthers in 2023, catching eight passes for 83 yards, and also spent time in the NFL with four teams. Speed played for five NFL teams from 2023 through last year, with the Houston Texans as his last stop. In three NFL seasons, Speed racked up 11 tackles and one tackle for loss.
Houston Gamblers prepare for the second half of the season with changes
Winningham's release is a disappointment, as he is considered one of the most underrated contested receivers in the UFL, as he can go up and make any catch with coverage in his face. The problem is that he gets swallowed up by deep wide receiver rooms over the years, which has not helped him in finding playing time on the field.
Mayes is just the latest example of a corner in the Gamblers' secondary losing his job. Houston has been trying to figure out the right combination to help them in pass coverage, as over the last two weeks, things seem to be going in the right direction after allowing 45 points back in Week 3 against the DC Defenders. They are hoping speed with his NFL experience over the last few years will be able to help with that.
Davis can only help the Gamblers out as he has spent the last two years in the NFL. That kind of experience and skill set will be big to work with other guys like Justin Hall and Jontre Kirklin.
While they are sitting just a game behind the St. Louis Battlehawks and Dallas Renegades in the standings, the Gamblers are right in the thick of things as they have five more games to get themselves into the playoffs for the first time since they rebooted in the USFL in 2022.