The St. Louis Battlehawks made some big cuts on Sunday, something that was by no means an easy thing for head coach Anthony Bechet to be involved in. St. Louis assembled a talented 75-man roster for UFL training camp, but had to trim it down to 58 in the final two weeks before the season began.
Today, select the St. The Louis Battlehawks have updated their roster to 58 players, as they prepare for the upcoming inaugural UFL season. pic.twitter.com/rtHN22li9m
— UFL Communications Department (@UFL_PR) March 10, 2024
The thing you'll notice is the fact that St. Louis only released one player who was on their roster last year (via Pat Revino). Bisht addressed this matter during his presence with the media on Monday, saying this “We believe in our young people, we believe in this continuity, and we believe they have earned this place.”
Becht comments on the cuts
Clearly, a lot of difficult decisions were made to make these adjustments. Bechet spoke about this issue and his sympathy for the players who were released:
“I've felt angry before when I got fired or fired or fired… I know there are a lot of emotions in that room; anger and tears – that's their livelihood… The goal is to have the best men, and I know that everyone is trying to be “Also. We had some young players who were 23 or 24 years old, who had their whole world ahead of them – and they might have a chance with us or someone else next year. Just keep pushing and striving if that's your goal.”
Anthony also said he believes in every player on the roster, even those who were released — and hopes to see them land on another roster spot if they don't return to St. Louis.
Today is a shitty day to be a head coach. All 17 players we released today will certainly not be happy. I understand the anger, sadness, and disappointment that may be directed at me…and the disbelief of some. I will say that I respect every player for their hard work…
– Anthony Becht (@Anthony_Becht) March 10, 2024
Additionally, Bechet touched on what he expects from this group moving forward. The season will start before we know it, and St. Louis will have to be ready to compete on March 30 when they kick off their season against the Michigan Panthers.
“Our goal is that by March 30, we're ready to go. We can't wait… Our guys have to get it done. Back in our meeting this morning, I called in some DBAs. And again, this is to help them understand what the standard is. They may not Some guys know the level of expectations, and I try to give that to them every day – they have to be reminded… We have 19 days, and I said we can look at it two ways. Either it's '19 days, we're running out of time' – or '19 days, We have time to get better and get a lot better.” I want these guys to understand that there is urgency, but there is time to build over the coming weeks. Every day is important, don't waste a day.”
With that in mind, let's take a look at the players St. Louis waived this weekend.
RB Kevon Latoulas
Kevon Latulas (who is listed as WR in the press release) will not be with St. Louis this season, after being selected in the XFL Rookie Draft in June. Latoulas was part of a star-studded running back room, and the team will include Wayne Gallman, Jacob Saylors, and Matthew Durant.
WR James Bostic
With the amount of talent in the Battlehawks' wide receiver room, unfortunately, James Bostic hasn't been able to reach the level he needs to. Bostic signed with St. Louis in October, and was also drafted during the XFL Rookie Draft.
T. E. Kemore Gamble
Once again, Kemore was also selected in the rookie draft. Gamble signed in November, and was one of three tight ends headed to training camp with St. Louis. Kemore had a stellar season at Florida State in 2021, recording 414 yards and four touchdowns.
OG Christian Olmstead
Christian Olmstead was drafted by the Battlehawks back in 2022, but was inactive for most of the 2023 season. After being reclaimed during the dispersal draft process, Christian is now back on the market. Bichette mentioned that it was very difficult to cut him, but their offensive line unit is very deep right now.
OT Jazzstone Turnitin
Jazston was a new addition to St. Louis, and he originally signed a letter of intent to play with the Seattle Sea Dragons. Turnetine was captured during the dispersal draft process. He is a talented lineman and should get another call up sooner rather than later from a professional football team.
D. T. McKinley Williams
McKinley Williams recently signed with St. Louis out of Syracuse — and is clearly in contact with general manager Dave Boller. While Williams is undoubtedly an asset. With the pickups on St. Louis' defensive line this season, it's no surprise he didn't make the final roster.
Di John Daca
It's hard to see John Daca not maintaining his role in St. Louis. He was a great pass rusher for the Houston Roughnecks last year, recording 26 tackles and 4.5 sacks. According to PFF, he was the second-highest running back on the team, with an 87.7 overall grade.
Written by Jadrian Taylor
Jadrian Taylor was an intriguing prospect when he joined camp, as he had a standout career at UTEP. Unfortunately, Taylor suffered an EKG abnormality during the procedure, which played a role in his release.
By Mandy Alonso
Alonso was originally signed by the Sea Dragons this offseason, but was picked up by St. Louis during the dispersal draft. Mandy has had a stellar career at Virginia, and is expected to receive more professional attention soon.
Written by Marcus Cushnie
Similar to others in this group, Cushnie is talented but was part of a unit with so much depth, there isn't room for everyone. Marcus was an offseason signing for St. Louis. If there are issues on the defensive line during the season, Marcus could certainly get a call back.
See also
CB Montray Braswell
Braswell is a somewhat surprising release, as he was only with the Seattle Seahawks during the NFL preseason. Montray are a young team with a lot of potential, the type of prospect who could benefit greatly from development in a league like the UFL.
DB Anthony Weatherston
Weatherston was also in NFL training camp last fall with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played his college football at Merrimack, totaling 48 tackles and three interceptions over his last 21 games there. Frankly, the Battlehawks' revamped secondary has some elite talent, which has Weatherston looking outside.
DB Prince Charles Ewrah
Prince Charles Eorah has been trying to carve out a place for himself in the professional football scene for some time. He has had NFL experience with a couple of franchises, and also played in The Spring League (Conquerors) and the USFL (Pittsburgh Maulers). It is worth noting that Anthony Bechet stated that Prince will likely retire if he does not find another place to land soon.
S. Anthony Cioffi
Unfortunately, Anthony Cioffi was unable to make it through the first wave of cuts to the St. Louis Battlehawks. Cioffi was a fan favorite in the USFL in 2022 with the Tampa Bay Bandits, and was one of the best defenders that year. Surprisingly, he was let go when the team moved to Memphis. Anthony performed in the XFL last summer as well.
K Andrew Mewis
Andre Smit ended up winning the kicking battle in St. Louis, beating out Andrew Mewis. Both were new additions to the team, and fought hard to make the roster.
For Coach Bechet, this was another decision that was not easy to make:
“Cutting Andrew was a tough deal. It was a real coin flip, and I think they were basically identical kick for kick throughout training camp. I told them I was putting a lot of weight in the scrimmage, and that might not be fair in certain situations, but I wanted to I see how they kick in front of other people's eyes, in a different environment. I told Andrew that he could have easily made our team. But now, Andre has a chance to be the man. I told him directly to “make 'em all.” I want our players to make all of these things, and now it's time Time to own this position.
For what it's worth, Anthony has left the door open for a position change in the future – but he has full confidence in Szmyt's strong leg ahead of the UFL season.
Final thoughts
Some other notes from Anthony Bechet's media conference:
- TE Kemari Averett has looked very solid so far. Making an impact in the passing game, as well as blocking at a high level.
- LB Lakiem Williams continues to do so “lead the charge” With their defensive unit, and their outstanding forwards overall they look great.
- The team looked at “High school renewal” This offseason, I achieved that through various means including dispersal drafts.
One thing is clear: Anthony Bechet cares deeply about his team and the potential success they could see this season. The training camp process has not been easy, but the culture in St. Louis is being built brick by brick, led by the enthusiasm and determination that Bichette brings to the organization.
Heading into March 23, the current roster will have just under two weeks to prove themselves to make the final cuts.
What are your thoughts on these cuts to the St. Louis team? Louis Battlehawks this weekend? Are you looking forward to watching Bechet coach this group this year? Let us know in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
