Former Cardinals Wendell Bryant, Oliver Celestin and Bo Schobel (Among Others) Find New Home in the UFL

Hawkwind — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:48:34 -0000

The upstart United Football League held it's innagural 'draft' last night and each of the four teams selected the rights to 24 players. Now this doesn't necessarily mean these guys have agreed or committed to playing in the league but it means that if they do decide to enter the UFL, the team that drafted them holds their rights. The league is contacting the players and hopes that they will be able to announce contract signings in the upcoming weeks.

The list of players that were drafted is littered with a handful of noticeable names like Adam Archuleta, Brooks Bollinger, Chris Perry, Jermaine Wiggins, LaBrandon Toefield, Cecil Sapp and Marcus Fitzgerald (Larry's younger brother). There were also several players with Cardinal ties including former first round bust Wendell Bryant, safety Oliver Celestin, defensive end Bo Schobel, linebacker Brandon Moore, quarterback Shane Boyd and I'm sure there are one or two others that I missed. Celestin and Schobel were with the Cardinals as recent as last year during training camp and Celestin actually played in two games with the team before being cut to make room for Stephen Spach. Overall the league didn't make any significant waves like drafting Michael Vick or some other troubled NFL star as many predicted. Former Cardinals receiver David Boston also didn't hear his name called even though he was on the initial list of 'draft hopefuls.' Each team already had 20 players "protected" (which is what likely became of Boston) before the draft so effectively each of the four teams (New York, Orlando, Las Vegas, and San Francisco) have 44 players assigned to them with an expectation that rosters will be set at 50 for the regular season (six games played over 8 weeks with the Championship Game played the Friday after Thanksgiving).

The league says that the rosters will be tweaked during July and August as players are cut from NFL training camps and they hope to kick off their regular season in October. Their games will be televised on the Versus network but at least former Cardinals coach Dennis Green won't be too far away in San Francisco.

Former Rams populate the UFL

VanRam — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:08:56 -0000

What? A football draft that didn't include three months of hype and 'round the clock analysis? The UFL held its innuagral player draft last night, and I think you're going to be surprised at some of the names.

Bledsoe, Sapp, Sanders, Suggs... Well, to be more specific, Fred Bledsoe, Cecil Sapp, Steve Sanders and Damon Suggs. But the rosters of the UFL's four teams have a some names Rams fans will recognize. Leading that list is none other than Adam Archuleta is playing for the as-yet-unnamed Las Vegas team, along with Gary Stills, a special teamer brought in by the Rams last year.

Not surprisingly, the Orlando team, coached by former Rams DC and interim head coach Jim Haslett, has quite a few former Rams...and Fred Bledsoe. LB Tim McGarigle, OT Rob Petitti, and CB Darius Vinnett all spent some time with the Rams during Haslett's tenure.

Drafted doesn't mean contracted to the UFL. According to their web site, these are players who worked out for the league this year, and they'll be offered contracts in the near future. The UFL will continue filling out their rosters in July and August, catching plenty of guys who get cut as NFL teams start shearing their rosters. That should keep some football players from having to use those communications degrees for a while at least.

SB Nation - Cecil Sapp

Former Cardinals Wendell Bryant, Oliver Celestin and Bo Schobel (Among Others) Find New Home in the UFL

Former Rams populate the UFL