NFL Cast Offs Who Should Consider UFL and CFL, Offensive Skill Positions

Every year tens of thousands of NFL draft-eligible players are combed through by NFL front offices in the hopes of carving down this group to somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 players split between the draft, and undrafted free agents who will eventually sign an NFL contract their rookie season. That means EVERY year thousands of players do not get an NFL look, and instead look to leagues like the CFL, UFL, ELF, LFA, and various indoor football leagues to continue their careers.

There is a sort of trickle-down effect that directly corresponds with the rookies making rosters, and that is the young “veterans” who are released but look to continue their careers and eventually make their way back to the NFL. The most recent example of this is Andy Isabella, who was recently signed by the St. Louis Battlehawks, teaming with another longtime NFL player A.J. McCarron.

I wanted to take a look at some of the players who were released by NFL teams in the last two NFL offseasons who could consider alternative options to continue playing football and make their way back to the NFL.

Quarterbacks

Kellen Mond

Full disclosure: This is not an original thought. A former UFL and NFL coach mentioned Mond as a potential alternative football player almost two years ago now. Later, he appeared on the CFL negotiation list for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He has not been on an NFL roster since early May of this year when the Saints released him. 

To this point, I have not heard or seen anything about him working out with NFL teams. Mond is just 25 years old and could still have a career renaissance if he were to prove himself in a league like the UFL, or he could simply look to the CFL and try to build a long-term career north of the border. 

Mond is one of the most accomplished dual-threat quarterbacks to come out of the SEC racking up 9,661 passing yards, 71 touchdowns to 27 interceptions, adding 1,600 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground. Based on production alone he seemed bound for a promising career in the NFL. However, his time in the NFL did not go as planned to this point, and the young quarterback may be nearing the end of his NFL window. This should elicit a reaction and have him really considering the pros and cons of joining the UFL or CFL for the 2025 season. Technically, he could sign with a CFL team right away similar to recent CFL signee Pj Walker.

The 6’3 215 quarterback has the size, athletic ability, and experience to be a very valuable UFL or CFL quarterback. While there are some concerns with accuracy these are the exact things you can dial in by playing in an alternative football league. Getting more in-game snaps will allow him to pinpoint the issues in his game and improve them in real-time. Something he has not been able to do since joining the NFL and being used as primarily a third or fourth-string quarterback. In this role, he has seen little to no snaps during the regular season and was forced to improve simply through limited practice reps, and reps in preseason games.

We just watched a similar trajectory unfold with Adrian Martinez, who ended up the UFL MVP. He went about fixing inconsistencies in his game and for the most part showed he had improved in several facets. This led him to be signed by the New York Jets, where he still resides on their practice squad to this day. I feel Mond is a guy whose age lends itself to a UFL move more than it does the CFL, assuming his goal is a return to the NFL. 

The CFL however could ultimately provide him with the best situation long term to build a career in football, and actually see the field. Even if he is just a depth piece, thanks to his mobility and size he could be utilized as a short-yardage option. 

Chris Oladokun

Oladokun played in 41 games during college but started only 26 games spread out over four seasons, starting 7 or more games in a single season just twice. This is a large part of what led Oladokun to be selected late in the NFL draft. Oladokun is a former 7th-round NFL Draft pick selected 241st overall in 2022 by the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

He was released in final cuts and signed with the eventual Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. He would stick with the Chiefs all the way up until final cuts two years later. Spending most of his time with KC on the practice squad. He learned from some of the most respected quarterback developers in the NFL. Andy Reid, Eric Bienemy, Matt Nagy, and David Girardi in 2022. In 2023/2024 he was under Reid, Nagy, and Girardi once again but they also promoted former wide receivers coach Joe Bleymaier to Pass Game Coordinator. All of these coaches have made names for themselves as respected NFL talent evaluators and developers. Especially Andy Reid who has helped develop several future pro-bowl quarterbacks….veterans and young players alike.

Over the three seasons he has been in the NFL he has played just 124 Snaps in 6 preseason games. The big question about his game is decision-making. He has collected 38 completions on 59 attempts, for 431 yards, 2 touchdowns, to 3 interceptions. In college, this didn’t show up on a stat sheet because his receivers often bailed him out. He still threw 18 turnover-worthy passes in just four seasons. 

If any recent NFL quarterback could benefit from the playing time the UFL could provide, it’s Chris Oladokun. He is 27 years old, and the clock is ticking on his time to prove he can be a viable NFL backup. Given his age, a move to the CFL could be more likely for him as he tries to find a long-term home playing football. The BC Lions currently hold his negotiation rights as revealed in the fall negotiation lists.

He is however free to sign with any UFL team for 2025, and this could prove to be his best option for elevating back to the NFL in the short term. I look at the CFL as a decision most players are hesitant to make knowing that the jump from the CFL back to the NFL is a difficult one to make, and is not as cut and dry as fans may like to think. We look at current or former NFL players who needed that time playing in the CFL to prove themselves; Alex Singleton, Tyreik McAllister, and others are currently in the NFL after showing they could play at the professional level with the CFL. Make no mistake that the NFL is more than aware of the players in the CFL, but only the absolute best prospects will get another NFL look following their CFL playing time.

Trace McSorley 

Trace McSorley is a Penn State legend. He still to this day holds many school records, over five years since being drafted in the 6th round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Penn State at this point had a very talented quarterback room with future second-round pick Christian Hackenberg, future CFL Quarterback Tommy Stevens, future two-time alternative football champion Jackson Erdmann, future collegiate coach Billy Fessler, and McSorley. 

Despite this even during a redshirt season McSorley found snaps in 6 total games, including garbage time in 5 of them. He attempted 40 passes completing 20 of them for 185 yards and 2 touchdowns rushing 13 times for 43 yards. By the following season, he took over as the starter. 

He would go on to play in 47 games for Penn State. He would graduate with 9,899 passing yards, 77 touchdowns, 25 interceptions, adding 1,697 yards and 30 touchdowns on the ground. Coming out of college, according to Adam Schefter, McSorley was asked by multiple NFL teams to compete in defensive back drills at the combine. He declined and stuck to being a gunslinger, one has to wonder if his career as a defensive back may have panned out differently, or if he would have ended up out of the NFL even faster playing a position he has not been training for since pee-wee football.

He would run the fastest 40-time of any quarterback in the NFL Combine with a 4.57 40-yard dash. He also managed a 4.12 shuttle, a 7.09 3-cone drill, leapt 33 inches, and scored a 31 on his wondelic. Measuring in at 6’0 202 pounds he was considered undersized and this caused him to slip to the 6th round. 

He was originally kept on the active roster as the third quarterback, behind Lamar Jackson, and Robert Griffin III, two of the most dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks in recent NFL history. Baltimore easily had the most athletic quarterback room in the league by a long shot with this group. McSorley was retained by Baltimore for most of the next three seasons. He was coached by several well-respected NFL coaches including: Greg Roman, David Culley, and James Urban.

Two days after McSorley was elevated to the active roster for the Ravens, he was signed by the Arizona Cardinals off of the Ravens practice squad having attempted only 10 passes in the NFL regular season before that. 

He did not play during the 2021 NFL season, but suited up and saw the field in 6 games in 2022 including 1 start. He attempted 83 passes, completing 45 passes for 412 yards he did not throw a touchdown pass, but was intercepted 5 times. He rushed 15 times for 61 yards while being sacked 3 times losing 2 fumbles. 

He was let go by Arizona after the 2022 NFL season. He would sign with the Patriots in April just a couple weeks before the 2023 NFL Draft. He was ultimately released in the final cuts. It wasn’t until October that he signed with the Chicago Bears to the practice squad where he stuck for a month during the 2023 NFL season. About two weeks after the Bears let him go he would sign with the Steelers lasting a month on their practice squad. 

In January of 2024, he was again released, and it was not until August that he signed with the Washington Commanders where he lasted just two weeks of the NFL preseason. It is now October of 2024, and he has been on an NFL roster for a total of 23 days for the entire 2024 season to this point. He is now 29 years old and his window to play in the NFL is closing quickly. He has so far staved off any attempts by alternative football franchises trying to sign him. Could nearing his 30th year on the planet change his mind? 

McSorley is very closely tied to an indoor football team in the National Arena League called the Harrisburg Stampede, and could look to play for the Stampede so he can stay somewhat close to his home state of Virginia. He also could take the plunge, and see if he could make a career of it in the CFL. Both styles of play would suit his style of play better than the NFL has to this point. The Toronto Argonauts hold his CFL rights, but he is free to sign with any UFL team if he decided to stay in the US and maximize his chances of returning to the NFL.

Running Back

James Robinson

James Robinson is a former undrafted free agent who made his mark during the 2020 NFL season signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars. After an impressive training camp and preseason performance, he made the active roster as a rookie. It was not long before he was named the starting running back. During his rookie season, he would play in 15 games, and total over 100 yards of offense in 7 of them. Including 4 games with over 100 rushing yards. He would set the NFL record for most yards from scrimmage for an undrafted rookie. He missed the last two games of the season.

Returning in 2021 he played in 15 games once again, including missing the week 9 and week 17 games. He had 4 games over 100 yards from scrimmage and managed to collect 767 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns while adding 222 yards through the air. He would return to Jacksonville in 2022, but the Jaguars were ready to hand the offense over to 2021 first-round pick Travis Etienne Jr. He would play in 7 games with the Jaguars collecting 81 carries for 340 yards and 3 touchdowns. After this, he was traded to the Jets for a 6thround pick. Playing in 4 games for the Jets he only had another 89 rushing yards. Averaging a career-low 2.93 yards per carry.

For the last two seasons since then, Robinson has spent more time on the open market than he has on an NFL team. Ending training camp two years in a row released by his team, he spent a short time on the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad. He spent about a month total with the team split between three stints. Robinson was never the most athletic back in the league and has always been better after initial contact but he has still lost a step since suffering ankle, knee, and heel injuries in the NFL.

This and his likelihood of reinjury is a direct reason for finding him an NFL free agent in October of 2024. He could look to a league like the UFL to try and jump-start his career one last time or use it as a place to play and return to being the star he once was in the NFL even though he may not be the same player he once was in before the end of the 2020 season.

This would not be too far off of the move to sign Bo Scarbrough a running back whose NFL career was cut short due to similar injury concerns, and ultimately he would play out his last couple years of his career with the Stallions. He could find interest on multiple teams in both the UFL and CFL.  

Marlon Mack 

Mack is a former fourth-round pick selected in the 2017 NFL Draft. Coming out of South Florida, he collected 3,609 rushing yards, and 498 receiving yards in 36 games. He would graduate as the all-time leader in rushing yards and all-purpose yards. 

The 5’11 210 pound back then put up a respectable Combine performance running a 4.50, with a 1.52 10-yard split. He had 15 reps in the bench press, a 35.5-inch vertical, and a 10 ft 5-inch broad jump. He would go on to be the first USF running back ever drafted when the Indianapolis Colts selected him 143rd overall. 

As a rookie, Mack played in 14 games which still stands as a career high, he rushed for 358 yards and set career highs with 21 receptions for 225 yards and 1 touchdown. By his second year with Indy, they turned to him as their top back. He responded by starting 10 of 12 games he played, collecting 212 offensive touches for 1,011 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns. 

In his third season, he managed to cross the 1,000-yard mark on the ground, but for the second season in a row, he saw fewer receptions and yards in the passing game. He played in 14 total games starting 12. 

After that 2019 season, Mack has essentially fallen off the NFL map as a potential starting back. He started week 1 of 2020 before tearing his Achilles and missing the rest of the season. He had just 7 touches for 56 yards.

He has spent the next four seasons bouncing around trying to find a home. He returned to the Colts in 2021 playing in just 6 games. Then in 2022 he was signed by Houston but was released during final cuts being brought back for a short-lived practice squad stint. By September 14th he had signed with the 49ers practice squad. He saw action in 1 game for San Francisco before Denver signed him away. 

He played in 6 games for Denver before suffering a hamstring injury that ended his season on injured reserve. He was dealt another blow when in 2023 before seeing the field for the Cardinals he tore his Achilles and missed the entire 2023 season. Mack may be done with football after three injuries in four seasons, however at 28 years old, the UFL could interest him as a last chance to revive his NFL Career one last time. If he can prove to be healthy maybe he gets the call for one last ride in 2025? 

Matt Brieda 

Brieda has followed a very similar career trajectory as Mack. A three-year starter in college, Brieda produced 3,740 rushing yards, 156 receiving yards, and 40 touchdowns. Unfortunately, he had started fast and finished on a low note his senior year with just under 700 all-purpose yards and 5 touchdowns. This led him to not be invited to the combine. He went on to light it up at his pro day forcing teams to take notice by finishing at or near the top of many leaderboards when compared to the NFL combine numbers for his position group. 

A 4.38 40-yard dash, 6.85 3-cone drill, 42-inch vertical, 11-foot 2-inch broad jump, and 23 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press made for a very impressive showing. At 5’10 195 pounds he looked like an NFL running back and someone who could find a role simply based on elite athleticism alone. 

Coming out in the 2017 draft, Brieda however was not selected. He instead signed with the San Francisco 49ers where he spent the majority of his first three seasons in the NFL. He not only made the active roster but also managed to secure a role as the top backup to veteran Carlos Hyde. 

After once being an afterthought, Brieda finished his rookie year third on the team in yards from scrimmage, and 14th among rookies overall. He had already made his presence felt by opposing teams, and all but solidified his position with the 49ers. The following year Brieda was expected to be a large piece of the backfield puzzle but his value skyrocketed when Jerick McKinnon tore his ACL missing the entire season. 

This left Brieda as the lightning to Alfred Morris’s thunder in the San Francisco backfield. Much like in nature, it was the lightning that did most of the damage for opposing teams while the thunder rolled in afterward and helped to serve as a closer. This dynamic emerged quickly and Brieda became the first back off the bench in week 2. 

Brieda went on to start 13 of 14 games he played in that year before suffering an ankle injury that sent him to IR. He would set career highs in carries, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, receptions, reception yards, and receiving touchdowns. He topped 1,000 all-purpose yards and found the endzone 5 times while averaging 6 yards per touch also a career high. 

The following season McKinnon was still working his way back from injury so it left Brieda and Tevin Coleman as the top two backs. Unfortunately for Brieda before the end of the season, Raheem Mostert had worked his way into the lineup and ahead of Brieda in the pecking order. Brieda fell short of his marks in the previous season but still finished in the top ten for yards per carry with 5.1. Brieda had consistently been among the most efficient runners in the league since entering it three seasons ago. 

In 2020, much like for Mack, things began to slowly crumble for Brieda. The Miami Dolphins led by Chris Grier, Brian Flores, and Chan Gailey acquired Brieda for a 5th-round pick. The Dolphins bizarrely decided to carry five running backs into the season with Salvon Ahmed, Myles Gaskin, Patrick Laird, and DeAndre Washington all making the active roster in addition to Brieda. In a crowded backfield, Brieda found limited touches and finished with a career-low to that point with 68 touches for 350 yards and 0 touchdowns. 

Since that point Brieda has entered the journeyman portion of his career with his NFL stock seemingly falling each year, bottoming out in 2024. From 2021-2023 he played in 43 games with the Bills and Giants. He has not topped 220 yards rushing in a season since 2020, although the Giants did use him as a receiver frequently. 

Heading into 2024 the Giants opted to rebuild their backfield and let Saquon Barkley and Brieda walk in free agency. Brieda coming off the lowest yard-per-carry average of his career, and second least rushing yards was left waiting for months on the open market Ultimately in early August he returned to where it all started for him in hopes of recapturing what he lost when he left. 

Signing with San Francisco due to injury concerns, he was released just three weeks later before playing a regular-season snap. It’s now October and he has not been signed by an NFL team. Probably the most damning evidence of where he stands is the 49ers not bringing him back on the practice squad over Keshawn Vaughn when Christian McCaffery was placed on injured reserve. Currently, the 49ers have 2 running backs on injured reserve, 3 on the active roster, and 1 on the practice squad none of which are Brieda. It’s time Brieda realizes where he stands and either goes to the CFL where he could arguably start for a team for a few years, or go all in on the 2025 UFL season and see where it takes him..whether that ends up an NFL team, or retirement at 30 years old. 

Wide Receiver 

Jamal Agnew 

Jamal Agnew is one of the most interesting free agents on the wide receiver market currently. He is another player on this list who could ultimately decide to retire if an NFL offer does not come during the 2024 season. At 29 years old, Agnew faces a swiftly ticking clock and an uphill battle to get back on a roster.

Drafted in the 5th round in 2017 by the Detroit Lions he was selected as a cornerback. Having played the position in college he graduated with over 140 tackles logging 11 interceptions. While the bulk of his value came in the return game, Agnew had in fact played snaps on both offense and defense. He played 69 snaps on defense, 12 on offense, and 203 on five different special teams units. 

Over the next two seasons, he played just 18 offensive snaps seeing more time on defense as a cornerback and free safety. That was until 2020 his last season in Detroit when it was announced the one-time first-team all-pro return man would focus his time on offense as a wide receiver no longer asked to play defense. 

The Lions got creative and used Agnew in the backfield, in the slot, out wide, and even once as a wildcat QB. Prior to that 2020 season, Agnew had just 7 offensive touches and less than 50 offensive snaps. After the season he had 19 offensive touches and had played over triple the snaps he previously played on offense. 

In 2021 the Jaguars liked what they had seen from Agnew as a receiver and return man. They offered him a 3 year $14.25 million contract to play a significant role in their offense. Playing in 10 games, Agnew saw a career-high 39 targets on offense. Collecting 24 receptions for 229 yards and 1 touchdown, rushing 7 times for 111 yards and 1 touchdown. He also had 11 punt returns for 74 yards, 22 kick returns for 525 yards 1 touchdown, and a 109-yard missed field goal return. 

In 2022 he managed over 1,000 all-purpose yards contributing as a receiver, a runner, and a return man. In 2023, his last with the Jaguars he played in 11 games but totaled just 758 all-purpose yards, the lowest of his three years in Jacksonville. After his contract expired he was not re-signed and ultimately the Jaguars moved on. Since being let go he worked out with Pittsburgh in September and New Orleans about a week ago so far neither resulted in an offer. 

Chase Claypool 

Chase Claypool is a Canadian-born receiver who was once selected in the second round by the Pittsburgh Steelers after a strong college career at Notre Dame. At 6’4 238 pounds he is an imposing presence out wide that creates mismatches in body type alone. 

There are questions about Claypool’s focus, and his desire to be great. He has struggled with drops dating back to college having been credited with 16 in college, and another 14 in the NFL. Some of the reasons he is not on an NFL roster are things that on paper should be strengths for Claypool; being physical, contested catches, and getting off press coverage are things he has failed to improve upon over four years. 

His catch rate has never topped 61% overall, and much of that comes from the fact that he has 90 contested targets but only 34 receptions. He’s topped a 41% contested catch rate just once in his career. In 2023 which Chicago and Miami he had 5 contested targets and zero receptions. 

To make matters worse, the big-bodied wideout has not graded out favorably as a blocker either, another area that would be an assumed strength given his size. His best grade came in 2021 his second season when he hit a 60.7, but was penalized 8 times on the season. Overall he has been penalized 13 times. 

Claypool’s athleticism and size will have teams looking to kick the tires in both the UFL and CFL. He has already been added to the  Saskatchewan Roughriders’ exclusive negotiation list. Claypool is only 26 years old and reportedly has still had some form of NFL interest since being released by Buffalo. Realistically this is one player who will be tied to lists like these until he announces he has retired. 

Denzel Mims 

MIMS!! No, we aren’t talking about the rap artist, but the former second-round pick of the New York Jets. Mims is a larger receiver whom this writer has speculated would be better served playing running back. At 6’3 207 pounds he could easily add about 5-10 pounds and line up in the backfield more often. 

Since being drafted in 2020 it took Mims just 3 seasons to fall out of favor in New York and 2 more to fall out of the league. The former Baylor star turned heads during college producing 186 catches for 2,925 yards and 28 touchdowns in 48 games with only three as a starter.  This included two seasons of over 1,000 yards and 8 or more touchdowns in 3 consecutive seasons. 

As if that was not enough to leave teams salivating he impressed at his pro day running a 4.38 40-yard dash with a 1.51 10-yard split. He managed a 3-cone drill that left some wondering if he sold his soul for elite athleticism as he clocked a 6.66. He leaped 38.5 inches and put up 16 reps in the bench press. In short, he was the perfect NFL wide receiver prospect. 

His rookie season got off to a rocky start when he suffered a hamstring injury and missed most of training camp. He opened the season on Injured Reserve before being activated in late October. Missing over 2 months of his first NFL campaign putting himself behind the 8 ball immediately in one of the toughest cities to play/coach in…just ask Robert Saleh. 

In 9 games he started 8 seeing 44 targets and catching 23. He produced 15 first downs, and a total of 357 yards, but did not score a touchdown. In 2021, it was an eerily similar situation. He played in 11 games starting just 3. He was targeted 23 times but caught just 8 passes for 133 yards reaching a career-low 34.8% catch rate. 

In 2022 Mims requested a trade, but the Jets ended up holding on to Mims. He went on to play in ten games starting 4. He also saw 3 snaps on special teams. His first regular season special teams snaps of his professional career. 

He saw 25 targets, catching 11 for 186 yards. Three seasons, 92 targets, 42 receptions, 27 first downs, and 0 touchdowns. He also accounted for 5 drops and 6 contested catches to 2 interceptions on 23 contested targets.  He was also penalized 7 times and produced a 66.6 QBR when targeted. 

Before 2023 the Jets finally traded Mims, and they sent him to a team that could have used him, and they were a playoff contender. Shipped to Detroit along with a 2025 7th-round pick, the Jets received just a 2025 6th-round pick in return. Mims was waived/injured by Detroit before seeing a regular-season snap. On October 3rd he was signed by the Steelers to their practice squad. 

He signed a futures deal with the Steelers to return for 2024. He was released on June 19th signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars he would play in three preseason games seeing 50 snaps, 6 on special teams.  He was ultimately released by the Jaguars on August 25th during final cuts. He has seen some interest from NFL teams but so far no contract offer. 

Hybrid Players

Tyree Jackson

Tyree Jackson is an incredibly interesting player and one who has already had a taste of playing in the XFL in 2020. An undrafted free agent quarterback out of Buffalo University standing 6’7 249 pounds, he put up impressive numbers at his pro day and found his way into camp with the Buffalo Bills.

During the preseason in 2019, he would play 126 snaps at quarterback in 4 games and lead an impressive comeback in the last game but ultimately lose out on a roster spot. The Bills ultimately decided to keep only two quarterbacks on the roster with Matt Barkley the only backup behind Josh Allen at the time. Former 3rd round pick, and current Denver Broncos QB Coach, Davis Webb who had played for every team in New York before that was kept on the practice squad.

This left Jackson to look to his next option, which as an undrafted rookie, with little to no NFL interest at the time, hearing about a league like the XFL must have been a blessing that he jumped into excited for the opportunity to prove himself. Drafted by the DC Defenders, he would initially start the season as the top backup to Cardale Jones. It wasn’t until week 5 that he was given the start.

He would attempt 18 passes completing 11 for 46 yards and 1 touchdown, actually rushing for more yards than he threw for with 9 carries for 48 yards. It was a full 9 months before he would sign a futures deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, as a tight end. The Eagles wanted to see if the 6’7 249 pound athlete who once ran a 4.59 40-yard dash, and leaped 34.5 inches could transition from passer to pass catcher.

He impressed early on in training camp but was ultimately injured and placed on IR with the team hoping he could return down the line and use the time to learn the playbook and study the intricacies of playing the tight end position while rehabbing his injury. This seemed to work well with Jackson returning in early November. He went on to play on 171 offensive snaps being lined up everywhere from inline as a true tight end, to in the backfield as a fullback, in the slot, or out wide, he even saw snaps aligned as what would be considered a right tackle on some interesting play calls involving unbalanced lines. All of this while also playing on every special teams unit as well.

Playing in the final game of the 2021 season he caught 3 passes for 22 yards and 1 touchdown before tearing his ACL and ending his season on IR. Given that his injury happened so late in the 2021 season, the rehab carried over into the 2022 training camp, forcing the Eagles to place him on the PUP list. He was activated in mid-November mirroring his 2021 campaign. He would go on to play 57 snaps in 5 games before landing right back on injured reserve once again ending his 2022 season.

He would return to Philadelphia for a third straight training camp in an effort to prove he was healthy once again. He competed for a job, and ultimately played 108 total snaps during 3 preseason games for the Eagles he was targeted 6 times catching 5 passes for 72 yards. Ultimately the Eagles decided to give up on their experiment with Jackson and let him go in final cuts.

Jackson would sign with the New York Giants practice squad for the 2023 season seeing snaps in just 2 regular season games. He would return to the Giants in 2024 hoping to earn a roster spot once again only to end up waived with an injury designation. After being injured in at least three of four seasons with the NFL, teams have shied away from bringing in Jackson, and it may be in his best interest to wait it out until he is 100% healthy. With the NFL Season already a quarter of the way through, his opportunities to latch on with an NFL team are waning quickly.

Signing with the UFL could prove to be a very attractive option for Jackson. At only 26 years old, Jackson has yet to really prove himself as a tight end, and to this point despite being in the NFL for three years since 2020, he has earned just over $1.7 million according to spotrac.com which makes him more likely to consider the UFL, and do his best to prove he can play tight end, while perhaps serving other roles as well…Tush Push specialist anyone?

In my opinion, a return to the team that once drafted him in the XFL would make too much sense for both parties. In 2023, the Defenders employed a very interesting quarterback room, opting to carry three players when most other teams did not due to roster constraints. DC however had players who could play other positions such as Eric Dungy who is a larger quarterback who saw time as a tight end in camp as well.

Could Jackson fill a similar role, albeit one with more of a focus as a tight end than a quarterback? It could make sense for a franchise that seemed to like the idea of having a versatile player who could step in as a quarterback in an emergency while serving other roles in the meantime. After all, they did lose both D’Eriq King and Eric Dungey. Why not sign Jackson, have him come play tight end, and maybe use him as a kind of short-yardage specialist in situations that call for a much-needed conversion?

Giovanni Ricci

Giovanni Ricci is one of the few fullbacks who may actually continue to find value in modern-day professional football. The former high school quarterback originally made the move to wide receiver with Western Michigan after one redshirt year he began to find a role in the offense before ultimately transitioning to tight end for his final two seasons.

At his self-arranged pro-day, he ran a 4.69 40-yard dash, a 4.26 shuttle, 7.19 3-cone drill, with a 34-inch vertical leap. He also ran routes lining up in a three-point stance, and standing up as if he was split out. He looked good catching the ball but did not run any running back drills at the time.

In his last year in college, he should have drawn interest after catching 51 receptions for 642 yards and 8 touchdowns. At 6’3 234 pounds he was considered on the smaller side for a true NFL tight end, he was also not regarded as strong enough to line up inline regularly and block bigger defensive ends, but he found a role as a fullback for the Carolina Panthers after a year on the practice squad.

In 2021 he played in 15 games starting 3 for the Panthers. He was used all over the field from in the backfield, to inline, in the slot, or out wide. He also was a core four special teams contributor, also playing snaps on the field goal/extra point unit as well. All in all, he saw 462 total snaps with 162 coming on offense and 300 on special teams. He collected 7 tackles on special teams and saw 2 targets but did not make a catch.

By 2022 the perception that Ricci could not play tight end slowly began to dissolve, as he would see the majority of his offensive snaps as an inline tight end, and only 22 in the backfield as a fullback. He was targeted 9 times and caught 8 passes for 100 yards, adding another 10 tackles on special teams. He would play in just five games before being placed on IR in 2023. He added 1 reception for 2 yards and 2 tackles.

To date Ricci the former dual-threat quarterback does not have a single regular season carry but he can do it if ever asked to. He is a capable tight end, and fullback and has seen snaps on most special teams units. He was released by the Browns after a late training camp injury. He has not signed another NFL contract and could interest several UFL or CFL teams if he is interested.

Joe Reed WR/RB 

Joe Reed is a very interesting player, who could easily be classified as an offensive weapon. The 6’0 224 pound player saw time as a runner, receiver, and return man in college. 

By the time he graduated he had collected 34 carries for 172 yards 1 touchdown, and 129 receptions, 1,465 yards, 16 touchdowns on offense. He added 106 kick returns for 3,042 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 17 tackles on special teams. He lined up everywhere on offense including in the backfield, inline as a tight end, in the slot, or out wide, while serving as a special teams ace on coverage units, and one of the better kickoff returners in the nation. 

He added to his draft stock by performing well at the combine:

4.45 40-yard dash

1.55 10-yard split

38-inch vertical leap

21 reps in the bench press 

He was selected by the Chargers in the 5th round of the 2020 NFL Draft and was regarded as one of the safest players in the draft in terms of immediate value. He went on to play 176 snaps with 149 coming on special teams. He played 8 snaps in the backfield, 12 in the slot, and 7 out wide. After making the active roster as a rookie he would spend the next two seasons on the practice roster. 

After three seasons with the Chargers, he signed a futures deal with the Bears for the 2023 season but was waived/injured in final cuts. Reed has now been away from the NFL for over a calendar year. Joe looks to have stayed very active outside of football helping build fresh water wells for people in need. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7SB6SWJD3o/?igsh=dnI2eng1ZzA1cW1j

With his skill set, he would be incredibly valuable to the CFL or the UFL. Coming into the NFL, he was regarded more as a receiver than a running back and this may have truly limited his draft stock. I believe Reed would be best suited to focus on running back more than he would at receiver. 

The thing is, this is not speculation, his strengths are his vision and ability after the catch and in open space. His weaknesses are separating from coverage, his acceleration in breaks, tracking the ball on deep passes, and his lack the ability to beat defenses deep. All of this makes him better suited to play running back full-time and see snaps as a pass catcher when needed or on plays designed to get him open. He could be the focal point of an alternative football offense, before rekindling his NFL Career.  

Final Thoughts

There you have it, twelve offensive skill position players that should strongly consider jumping into the UFL or CFL in 2025 if not signed by an NFL team by the end of the year. One name that was going to be on this list, Pj Walker recently signed with the Calgary Stampeders to finish out the 2024 season. He could in theory compete for the starting job by the beginning of 2025 assuming he stays in the CFL. Players like Walker have used alternative football leagues to perfection in their quest to make it back into the NFL. Can he do it again using the CFL?

The truth is some players flat-out refuse to play in these leagues, jaded by their taste of the NFL. Some of these players will likely choose retirement, rather than humility which has always struck me as an odd choice. Football is a violent sport that can cause an injury at a moment’s notice, but if you truly love the game, don’t you as a player owe it to yourself to exhaust all options before walking away from a game you have likely played for your entire adult life?

If you are a fan of the CFL and want to keep track of all the recent NFL players making the jump to the UFL or CFL, subscribe to my YouTube channel. We do a weekly CFL podcast during the CFL season.

Sam Just

See Full Bio