The Houston Roughnecks made a couple of defensive moves on Saturday. DB’s Jamari Brown and Kiondre Thomas have been added to the roster, and DT Damion Daniels has been released.
The United Football League has announced the following transactions: pic.twitter.com/j8KGhyxiim
— UFL Communications Department (@UFL_PR) March 3, 2024
CB Kiondre Thomas
Kiondre Thomas is a solid add for the Houston Roughnecks secondary. This unit is very young, featuring some inexperienced talent. Thomas, on the other hand, has the NFL on his resume.
He played his first few years of college football at Minnesota, totaling 75 tackles and an interception during his time there. From there, Thomas moved to Kansas State for his senior season, starting in four of eight games played and racking up 27 tackles.
Let's take a look at that first career INT for Kiondre Thomas, shall we? pic.twitter.com/C1B2iiDkVI
— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) September 9, 2019
Kiondre entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, signing with the Cleveland Browns in May of 2021. He was then picked up by the Chargers, and was active for four games that year, finishing with one tackle.
From there, Thomas signed with the Green Bay Packers, and remained on their practice squad for a couple of seasons. He compiled 14 tackles and two PBU’s during the 2022 preseason.
Starting with outside leverage and covering an Over route across the field is a tough ask, but CB Kiondre Thomas (top) does a really nice job here. pic.twitter.com/DFGS89ukGE
— Sam Holman (@Sam_DHolman) August 22, 2022
After being released this past October, Thomas has since been a free agent. Now, he’ll take his talents to the UFL in an effort to make the Roughnecks roster.
S Jamari Brown
Not to be confused with Jamari Brown who played at Purdue, this Jamari played all of his college football at Gardner-Webb.
During his freshman year, he racked up 11 tackles, including a TFL. In 2021, Jamari was excellent, posting 59 tackles making ten starts at free safety. He added four PBU’s and two interceptions to his total tally.
PICK 6️⃣!
Jamari Brown gives @GWUFootball a commanding 45-34 lead!#BigSouthFB🏈 pic.twitter.com/9sKvQsCmQx
— Big South Game Day (@BigSouthGameDay) September 26, 2021
In 2022, Jamari had a breakout performance for Gardner-Webb. He earned First Team All-Conference honors, with an outstanding 60 tackles and three interceptions, including several TFL.
What makes Brown’s signing to the UFL so intriguing, is that he would be NFL draft eligible this year. He played with Gardner-Webb in 2023, once again finishing with 60 tackles and three picks, alongside four PBU’s. Instead of waiting it out until April, Jamari Brown now looks to kickstart his pro career with the Houston Roughnecks.
Final Thoughts
The Houston Roughnecks have a stacked defensive line, so not surprisingly we’ve already seen one of them drop. Damion Daniels, who spent the 2023 USFL and XFL season with the St. Louis Battlehawks and Houston Gamblers, has been released. Between both teams, he posted six tackles in four games.
General Manager Lionel Vital continues to bring in talent throughout Training Camp. The team just recently signed K JJ Molson, and WR Whop Philyor.
What are your thoughts on Jamari Brown choosing the UFL instead of the NFL draft? Will Kiondre Thomas make the regular season roster? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
