After a disastrous first season in Memphis that led to the 2-8 Showboats battling the Houston Roughnecks for the number one draft pick in every round, the Showboats are making big changes. General Manager Dennis Polian stepped aside to be replaced by Jim Monos. A few weeks later, Ken Whisenhunt was named the replacement for former head coach John DeFilippo.
This past week, the latest big move was announced when the Showboats traded defensive linebacker Jordan Ferguson to the San Antonio Brahmas in exchange for quarterback Quinten Dormady. The trade appears advantageous for both teams.
An Upgrade At Quarterback
Stepping in as the backup quarterback for the Brahmas when starter Chase Garbers went down early in the season, Dormady helped lead the Brahmas to the Conference Title game. In Garbers' absence, Dormady played seven out of ten games during the regular season and was ranked number five in the league in passing. He completed 103 of 173 throws for 1,206 yards with six touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Dormady's longest touchdown was for 52 yards.
The trade is an upgrade for Memphis since the quarterback position was one area where the Showboats struggled last year. Although the Showboats cycled through three quarterbacks during the season, the team never found the winning formula.
Starter Case Cookus was injury-prone and missed several games. While backup Troy Williams proved to be more mobile than Cookus, he was inconsistent in his throwing and had a completion rating of only 54.7%. Third-string quarterback Josh Love showed promise but he only appeared in four games.
In addition to his leadership and passing ability, Dormady brings a greater sense of field awareness and mobility. One area where Cookus proved especially vulnerable was by repeatedly getting sacked throughout the season. In a game against the St. Louis Battlehawks on April 20, 2024, Cookus was sacked seven times.
Cookus was sacked more than any other quarterback in the UFL with 20 sacks in total. While some blame can be attributed to the Showboats' weak offensive line, Cookus often seemed oblivious to the oncoming threat and was his own worst enemy.
Of the three quarterbacks from last season, only Williams has been re-signed to the 2025 team. However, this occurred before the new general manager and head coach stepped in.
To make matters even more interesting, brandishing the number one pick in the UFL draft this season, the Showboats selected Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jason Bean. To date, Bean remains unsigned with the Showboats. He was signed to the Indianapolis Colts practice squad in August. However, he is presently listed with an injury designation after being spotted on the Colt's sidelines on September 25th, wearing a left ankle boot.
It will be interesting to see how this potential quarterback pairing plays out in the coming months. In all likelihood, Dormady will earn the starting assignment based on his proven successful UFL experience with Bean potentially serving as the backup.
Improving the Brahmas's Defense
Along with Lamont McPhatter, Ferguson was one of the Showboats' top defensive talents last season. Ferguson played in all ten regular season games for Memphis and accounted for 45 tackles, including 31 solo tackles. He also had five sacks for a loss of 17 yards and one forced fumble.
Ferguson will be a great addition to the Brahmas' already strong defense. Premier defenders Jordan Mosley, Tavante Beckett, and Jordan Williams all rank in the UFL's top seven. The Brahmas defense was already a formidable unit last season. Mosley was ranked number two in the UFL with 75 tackles. Beckett was named to the All-UFL Team as a defensive linebacker. This unit will be even better this year with Ferguson joining the team.