A Busy Tuesday for the San Diego Fleet

The San Diego Fleet have only been at training camp for five days and some changes are already being made. The team (@PRFleet) announced on Tuesday that 11 transactions occurred. Four new players were signed to the Fleet roster and seven former players were waived. This leaves the current roster at 72 total athletes.

Most of the action occurred at the wide receiver position. Wayne Capers Jr., a former Duquesne standout, has been dealing with a foot injury these first five days of training camp and was waived as a result. The same goes for former Fresno State Bulldog Isaiah Burse, who struggled to get on the field at the beginning of training camp due to a knee injury. 

Three other receivers were cut as well. Former USC teammates and favorites of @TheShipyardSD Darreus Rogers and De’Quan Hampton were both waived, as well as former Murray State standout Jordan Gandy.

In response to all of the wide receiver cuts, the Fleet has signed three new wide receivers; Francis Owusu, Brian Brown, and Shay Fields. Francis Owusu, a former Stanford Cardinal and Miami Dolphin, has re-signed with the Fleet after being released a few weeks back. While at Stanford he totaled only 34 catches for 482 yards and three touchdowns over 50 total games.

Brian Brown played for the Richmond Spiders from 2013 to 2016, totaling 4,203 yards and 23 touchdowns over 52 games. Standing at 6-foot-1 and 204 pounds, he excelled as a big-bodied, deep threat receiver. After his time at Richmond, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys and spent a season on their practice squad before signing with the Detroit Lions and spending another season on the practice squad.

The Fleet also added former Colorado Buffalo, Shay Fields. More of a big play receiver, Fields stands 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds. During his time at Colorado, he totaled 194 catches for 2,599 yards and 21 touchdowns over 50 total games. After his time in college, he went on to sign with the Washington Redskins and then the Denver Broncos in 2018. He did last until the final roster cuts with the Redskins, but ultimately did not make the team and was signed to the Broncos’ practice squad.

Moving away from the roster transactions, former San Diego State star Kameron Kelly, a defensive back in college, is now being listed as a wide receiver on the Fleets’ online roster. When Kelly first arrived at San Diego State, he entered as a wide receiver, but was immediately converted into a defensive back. He hasn’t truly played wide receiver since his time in high school and it will be interesting to see how he transitions into his new role.

There were more than just moves made at wide receiver, however. Two offensive linemen were also waived by the Fleet in the flurry of transactions. Recently signed offensive tackle Tylor King from Southern Oregon was waived on Tuesday, as well as offensive lineman Matt Cohen from the University of Louisville. With Cohen gone, the Fleet only have one center on the roster. It will be interesting to see who steps in as the second team center. The Fleet might also bring in a free agent.

The last roster move for the Fleet on this busy day is Damontre Moore, a defensive end out of Texas A&M, who was selected by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2013 draft. Despite being a standout at Texas A&M, Moore struggled once he reached the NFL.

After spending three years with the Giants, he was reportedly waived for various incidents with his teammates during the 2015 season. After that, he bounced from team to team, spending time with the Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, and Oakland Raiders over a three-year span.

In all of those stops, he never got consistent playing time and was even suspended in 2017 for his use of an illegal substance. He totaled 83 total tackles and 10 sacks over his six-year career, most of that coming in his first three years with the Giants.

It is important to note that none of these moves should be viewed as permanent. Injuries and other outside variables could cause any number of these players to be resigned. Don’t hold your breath though, the first cuts of a training camp are the least likely to be resigned.

Zachary Gartin

My names Zachary Gartin. I’m a college kid going to school in Newberg, Oregon. When I’m not writing about the San Diego Fleet, I’m usually training for football or playing Xbox. Follow me @The_Sideline10