Tag: abram smith

13 Saints competing in UFL after 2024 super draft

13 ex-New Orleans Saints players are competing after the 2024 UFL super draft, including Emmanuel Butler, Darius Victor, and Abram Smith:

The XFL and USFL merged earlier this year in a much-publicized joining of the two spring leagues, forming the new United Football League (UFL). And quite a few former members of the New Orleans Saints are in the mix with training camp on the horizon.

As part of that reorganization some teams were dissolved, with their players being made available in a multi-phase super draft for the remaining squads. And after all the picks were turned in, a baker’s dozen of former Saints players found themselves either on new teams or surrounded by new teammates.

Here’s the list:

WATCH Abram Smith catch touchdown pass from Jaren Hall

The Vikings have jumped out on the Cardinals in the first quarter

The Minnesota Vikings didn’t waste time jumping out on the Arizona Cardinals. One play after a strip-sack from rookie Jay Ward, quarterback Jaren Hall found running back Abram Smith for a five-yard touchdown pass.

This is a great start for the Vikings in their final preseason game. They are looking to snap a nine-game preseason losing streak and getting up 14-0 on the Cardinals will make a difference.

The Vikings signed Smith the day after the first night practice three weeks ago and he has had an inconsistent tenure thus far. This touchdown was very well done.

The play is well-designed. Only one receiver to the far side and Smith runs an out route out of the backfield with Trishton Jackson running a corner route. That clears the flat for him and Smith takes advantage of the linebacker.

The Vikings are up 14-3 with 4:00 left in the first quarter.

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Report: Vikings sign XFL QB Jordan Ta’amu

Ta’amu became the third D.C. Defenders offensive player to sign with the Minnesota Vikings

According to the official XFL Twitter/X account, the Minnesota Vikings have signed D.C. Defender and 2023 XFL Offensive Player of the Year Jordan Ta’amu to a contract.

In the XFL last season, Ta’amu led the Defenders to a 9-1 record and an appearance in the 2023 XFL Championship Game. An alumnus of Ole Miss, Ta’Amu threw for 1,894 passing yards and 14 touchdowns on 62.4% completions and 298 rushing yards en route to saind 9-1 record.

Ta’amu has become a spring league veteran having played for the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks in 2020 and the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits in 2022.

Ta’amu is the third offensive player the Vikings have signed, joining running back Abram Smith and wide receiver Lucky Jackson.

This is likely a week three camp arm signing, but Ta’amu does have an intriguing skill set.

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Vikings sign RB Abram Smith, waive FB Zach Ojile

The Minnesota Vikings made the signing of RB Abram Smith official and waived FB Zach Ojile to make room for him on the roster.

The Minnesota Vikings announced that they signed All-XFL running back Abram Smith and waived fullback Zach Ojile to make room for him on the roster. The signing of Smith was initially reported by the XFL’s Twitter account.

Smith was the first-team All-XFL running back with 791 yards and seven touchdowns. He was undrafted out of Baylor and became the first overall pick in the XFL draft by the D.C. Defenders.

Ojile was signed by the Vikings after rookie minicamp out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He was the backup to C.J. Ham and ranked as the 88th player on the roster.

The Vikings have a full 90-man roster.

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Minnesota Vikings sign RB Abram Smith

After a workout with the team, the Minnesota Vikings agreed to terms with last season’s leading XFL rusher, Abram Smith.

Following a workout earlier today, the Minnesota Vikings have agreed to terms with running back Abram Smith, according to a tweet from the XFL.

Smith signs after a successful season with the XFL’s DC Defenders, where he league in rushing with 791 yards and 7 touchdowns. He was also the first overall pick in the skill positions portion of the XFL Draft before the season.

Before his stint in the XFL, Smith spent a brief time as an undrafted free agent with the New Orleans Saints in 2021. Smith was cut after a few months on the roster.

Before making the NFL, Smith, 24, was a standout at Baylor University. In 2021, he led the team in rushing with 1,601 yards and 12 touchdowns and proved to be an integral part of a Baylor team that was crowned Big 12 Champions.

Smith’s signing comes days after running back Alexander Mattison left training camp with a leg injury. While the injury does not appear serious, the Vikings may keep him out of practice for an extended period. As a result, there’s a possibility that Smith is nothing more than a depth body.

However, Smith’s signing could also indicate uneasiness from the current running back room. Outside of Mattison, the room lacks much experience, and while Smith doesn’t offer much experience, he is fresh off of a 150-carry campaign in a professional league.

Report: XFL rushing yards leader, former Saints RB Abram Smith is back in the NFL

After leading the XFL in rushing yards, former Saints fan-favorite running back Abram Smith is reportedly back in the NFL — and he could play against New Orleans:

Is this another one who got away? The New Orleans Saints have a worrisome history of developing talented pros who shine their brightest after joining other teams, but that won’t stop many fans from cheering for Abram Smith. The former Baylor Bears linebacker-turned-running back won fans over by running hard in the 2022 preseason, but he couldn’t do enough to earn a spot on the opening-day roster.

Then he went to the XFL and led the startup spring league with 788 rushing yards in the regular season, keeping it going for the DC Defenders’ postseason run. By years’ end, he racked up 925 rushing yards and scored 10 touchdown runs while gaining 124 receiving yards, earning All-XFL recognition. Good for him.

That’s led to a series of tryouts with teams like the Buffalo Bills, Las Vegas Raiders, and Minnesota Vikings — with the Vikings ultimately closing in on him, as first reported by FanSided’s Mike Mitchell and announced by the XFL’s official social media accounts. However, KPRC2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson cautions that while Smith’s workout in Minnesota went well, the Vikings front office “is still determining if they’re signing him. Has not signed or agreed to terms at this point.”

If Smith is signing with the Vikings, there’s a non-zero chance that he will suit up against his old Saints team. The Vikings host New Orleans in Week 10 and Smith is stepping into a very winnable situation. Minnesota’s backfield is in shambles after they cut Dalvin Cook, featuring unproven pros Alexander Mattison, Ty Chandler, and Kene Nwangwu as well as seventh-round rookie draft pick DeWayne McBride. Mattison has never eclipsed 500 or more rushing yards in a single season (and he’s currently nursing a tweaked hamstring), while Chandler and Nwangwu combine for fewer than 30 career rushing attempts in the NFL. If Smith can make the most of his opportunities in preseason and protect the football, he just might catch on.

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Report: Vikings work out All-XFL RB Abram Smith, 2 others

The Minnesota Vikings brought in All-XFL RB Abram Smith along with RB Jacques Patrick and RB Aaron Dykes for a workout on Thursday.

Earlier on Thursday, KPRC2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson reported that the Minnesota Vikings worked out running back Jacques Patrick. Later on Thursday, Wilson reported that the Vikings also worked out running backs Abram Smith and Aaron Dykes.

Smith went undrafted in the 2022 NFL draft out of Baylor, but was the first overall pick in the XFL draft by the D.C. Defenders. They ended up finishing the regular season at 9-1 and lost in the XFL Championship Game. He rushed for 788 yards and seven touchdowns while earning All-XFL honors.

Dykes went undrafted this April out of Richmond but saw success for the Spiders at the FCS level. He ran for 777 yards and four touchdowns while also catching 29 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns in his final season.

This is likely a response to the tweak that Alexander Mattison suffered to his hamstring on Tuesday during practice.

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Bills work out three running backs after Nyheim Hines’ season-ending injury

#Bills work out three total running backs after Nyheim Hines injury news:

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Down Nyheim Hines, the Buffalo Bills have done their due diligence on multiple running backs on Monday. According to a report, the team worked out three rushers in total.

Hines, 26, suffered a season-ending knee injury in a freak jet skiing accident over the weekend. Previously it was reported that former Tennessee Titans third-round pick Darrynton Evans was set to have a workout in Buffalo.

However, he’s not alone.

NFL insider Aaron Wilson from Click2Houston.com notes that Abram Smith and Kylin Hill also worked out for the Bills.

Smith most recently suited up for the DC Defenders of the XFL. He was named to the All-XFL team as he led the league with 791 rushing yards and averaged 5.0 yards per carry over 10 games. He added another 13 catches for 91 yards. The next-closest rusher in the XFL to Smith totaled 348 yards fewer than him.

Smith previously signed as an undrafted free agent with the New Orleans Saints in 2022. He was cut at the end of training camp that year, and then he went on to be a top draft pick in the XFL.

Hill was a seventh-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2021 and has only 11 total NFL carries in his career. His larger contributions have occurred on special teams. Hill was released by the Packers in November 2022.

Bills Wire will continue to provide updates.

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D.C. Defenders suffer their first loss of the XFL season

The Defenders still sit atop the XFL with a 6-1 record and have a huge game next week.

The D.C. Defenders will not finish the 2023 XFL season undefeated after Saturday night’s 36-35 loss to the Orlando Guardians. It was also Orlando’s first win of the season.

Behind six touchdowns from quarterback Quinten Dormady, the Guardians held off for an upset win over the Defenders. D.C. had entered the game as massive 9.5-point favorites. The Defenders had a chance late, but kicker Matthew McCrane missed a 63-yard attempt to seal the game for Orlando.

It was the best offensive performance of the season against what had been a stingy D.C. defense led by Gregg Williams. However, Dormany passed for 328 yards and three touchdowns while also scoring three rushing touchdowns.

D.C. running back — and the XFL’s leading rusher — Abram Smith rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown. Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu had one of his better games, completing 21 of 29 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Chris Blair caught five passes for 139 yards and a touchdown.

While the loss was a disappointing one for the Defenders, next week is another big week. The Defenders face the Seattle Sea Dragons, who now have the XFL’s longest winning streak at five games. Seattle sits at 5-2 on the season. It’s the second meeting of the season between the XFL’s current top teams, with D.C. opening the season with a 22-18 win over the Sea Dragons.

The game kicks off Sunday evening at 7 p.m. ET in Seattle.

Abram Smith, one-time Saints fan-favorite RB, runs for 200-plus yards in XFL game

Abram Smith, one-time Saints fan-favorite running back, runs for 200-plus yards and scores 3 critical touchdowns in XFL road win:

Here’s a cool story: Abram Smith endeared himself to a lot of New Orleans Saints fans last summer, but ball security concerns in training camp and preseason led to him unfortunately being let go during roster cuts. But the former Baylor Bear has landed on his feet with the XFL’s D.C. Defenders — and used that opportunity as a sprinter’s block to put himself on everyone’s radar.

Smith ran for 217 yards and scored 3 touchdown runs in Saturday night’s big win over the St. Louis Battlehawks, leaving an XFL-record crowd of 35,868 fans stunned at the The Dome at America’s Center. It was the Defenders’ fifth consecutive win to open the season, and every one of Smith’s carries counted in the too-close 28-20 road win.

Good for him. Smith ran well for New Orleans, but some untimely fumbles and drops caused his coaches’ faith in him to waver. Hopefully he can continue to produce in the upstart spring league so he can earn more opportunities at the game’s highest level in the fall. The Saints could look to be adding another running back behind Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams. Maybe Smith can work his way back into their good graces.

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