Monday brought us a couple of exciting transactions in the UFL. The DC Defenders have officially brought back TE Briley Moore – a fan favorite who is no stranger to winning Championships in DC. Additionally, the St. Louis Battlehawks signed DT Leonard Payne to the roster.
Moore has been a staple of this Defenders offense for three seasons. He emerged as one of the UFL’s top tight ends this past season, with 205 yards and two touchdowns. Moore played a pivotal role in DC’s Championship run, also adding a score during the postseason.
Briley was hitting his stride with DC in 2024, but an early injury sidelined him for most of the year. Despite this, he’s racked up almost 350 yards and three scores with the Defenders.
Moore returning to DC is exciting news. The team had traded DT Patrick Jenkins to Columbus, to get Briley back – but he then opted not to report to camp. Now, Moore has seemingly made the decision to run it back one more time in The District.
Kole Taylor finds himself on the other side of the coin. He was cut by the Storm, picked up by DC, and now has been released by the Defenders with the return of Briley. Kole is a big tight end prospect, who has the potential to get picked up elsewhere.
Leonard Payne – St. Louis Battlehawks
Payne is a standout from Colorado that makes his way to St. Louis to bolster their D-Line unit. He began his college career at Fresno State, breaking out in 2021 with five TFL’s and 3.5 sacks, to go with 22 tackles.
Leonard made his way to Colorado in 2023, to play for Deion Sanders. He had 10 tackles and three sacks that year, which earned him a couple of looks professionally with the Dolphins and Packers. He’s a defensive tackle who can legitimately get after the quarterback, something that Corey Chamblin looks for in his interior linemen.
Roster Losses
The Houston Gamblers saw DB Ra’Mello Dotson retire. This is an unfortunate loss for Houston. Dotson was a PBU machine with the Kansas Jayhawks, and looked good early in camp. Houston will need to make a corresponding move to bolster their secondary.
What are your thoughts on Briley Moore returning to DC? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
