Former Giants RB Signs with the UFL Before the Spring Season
This spring, a former draft choice of the New York Giants will make a comeback in the UFL.
This week, the UFL Communications Department made a number of announcements, and former New York Giants running back Wayne Gallman was one of the adds or drops. So was Corey Coleman, a former wide receiver for the Big Blue.
The UFL reports that Gallman, a 2017 fourth-round pick of the Giants, would sign with the St. Louis Battlehawks, while Coleman was waived by the Michigan Panthers.
Gallman, a fourth-round selection of the Giants in 2017, is expected to sign with the St. Louis Battlehawks, according to the UFL, while Coleman was released by the Michigan Panthers.
Gallman eventually left the NFL after brief spells with a number of teams from 2021 to January 2023, including the San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, and Minnesota Vikings. This spring, he will try to show off his skills in the 2024 UFL season, which will be the first to merge the XFL and USFL.
Coleman was once considered a first-round talent, but his NFL career has been a total disaster. The Giants looked at him for eight games in 2018 after he was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 2016 draft. With five receptions for 71 yards during that stretch of games, Coleman didn’t accomplish anything noteworthy.
USFL & XFL Combining to Form UFL in 2024
In case you didn’t notice, the USFL and XFL combined. The last day of this agreement was December 31, 2023.
“Former XFL president/CEO Russ Brandon will hold the same title for the UFL, and former USFL president of football operations Daryl Johnston will lead the new league’s football operations,” Kevin Seifert of ESPN wrote.
According to Seifert, the season’s first game will take place on March 30 and will include the two 2023 winners from the previous league. The teams in question were the Birmingham Stallions (USFL) and the Arlington Renegades (XFL).
Since then, the UFL has revealed a total of eight teams, split among the USFL and XFL conferences. The Houston Roughnecks (rebranded from Gamblers), Memphis Showboats, Michigan Panthers (remaining three USFL franchises), D.C. Defenders, San Antonio Brahmas, and St. Louis Battlehawks (remaining XFL franchises) will compete with the Renegades and Stallions.
Eight teams were present in each of the previous league versions, hence eight subsidiary franchises—including the New Jersey Generals of the USFL—were eliminated as a result of the merger.
Giants’ Activities at RB in 2024 Will Be Determined by Saquon Barkley’s Decision
Of course, the Giants’ running back activity will be greatly influenced by Saquon Barkley’s choice. Joe Schoen, general manager, will have to find a starting player to replace the superstar if he walks or gets franchised and traded.
Only Eric Gray, Gary Brightwell, Jashaun Corbin, and Deon Jackson are still employed for the role as of right now.
In 2024, veteran Matt Breida will also be eligible for free agency along with Barkley. In theory, the latter might sign a cheap contract to return to Big Blue, but that would depend on what happens with Barkley.
The Giants should anticipate signing a mid-tier starter to cover for the departing lead back and the remaining draft picks and young players (Gray, Brightwell, Corbin, and Jackson). That’s probably not Breida at this point in his career.
Michael Obermuller started working for Heavy.com in 2021 and covers the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, and Kansas City Chiefs. Born and raised in the New York City, he graduated from Quinnipiac University. He has written for FanDuel’s The Duel, King Fantasy Sports, and Pro Football Mania. Additional information regarding Michael Obermuller
