Houston Roughnecks Load Up on Defense with Trio of Signings
It has been a busy week for the Houston Roughnecks, who have been moving pieces on and off the defense. Just days before UFL teams will be required to cut down their rosters, the Roughnecks brought in cornerbacks Corn Elder and Jimmy Moreland as well as defensive lineman Toby Johnson on Wednesday.
Elder brings NFL experience after playing in the league in 2018, 2020, and 2021 with the Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders. He posted career statistics of 48 tackles, four pass deflections, one safety and one fumble recovery in 34 games. Elder was named All-ACC in 2016 while at Miami (FL).
Moreland is another defensive back with plenty of NFL experience, playing for the Commanders as their seventh-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and later for the Houston Texans for three seasons. In 37 games, he made 87 tackles, half a sack, one forced fumble, one interception, five pass deflections and two safeties. Moreland was a star at James Madison, being named as an FCS All-American in 2018 after making 208 career tackles and 18 interceptions.
Johnson has been a consistent performer in spring football with the New Jersey Generals in the USFL the past two seasons, contributing 76 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He also posted 11 tackles in five games with the XFL's New York Guardians in 2020. He also spent time with four different NFL teams, including the Minnesota Vikings, with whom he made two tackles in two games in 2016.
All three signings are big moves for the Roughnecks as they stay aggressive to remain competitive in an already tough USFL Conference. There should be some significant competition in the secondary and on the defensive line for Houston.
The first roster cut-downs will take place on Sunday for the UFL.
You can follow Anthony Miller on X @ByAnthonyMiller.
Catch up with UFL on FanNation on Facebook and X.
