Valor Announce Free Agent Signings
By Alex Zeese
The Washington Valor announced their first free agent signings as they begin to shape their roster.
As most fans know, building a roster for a first time team is a process, especially in a league like the AFL, but there are a few recognizable names. The list includes a number of veteran players from the Arena Football League as well as some NFL journeymen. Many of the names are most likely going to be unknown to the average NFL fan. However, one name stood out: 39 year old wide receiver T.T. Toliver. Put in NFL terms, Toliver is an Arena Football League version of Jerry Rice and Brian Mitchell put together. He holds the AFL’s record for receiving yards, 15,769 total, and all purpose yards, is 4th in all time TD’s.
Toliver started his career with the St Louis Rams in 2000 and spent some time with a few NFL teams. He’s a veteran wideout whose path ran across Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden on several occasions when they were both in Tampa Bay and with the Buccaneers for their Super Bowl season. Tolliver later won an AFL Championship a few years with Gruden on the Orlando Predators. His experience will be very valuable to a team getting off the ground in this league.
Toliver will be joined by a few younger wide outs, Julius Gregory, a Portsmouth, VA native, and rookie Justin Wilson from Delaware State.
The team made multiple defensive signings, including defensive tackles Everett Dawkins, who has spent time on NFL practice squads in Minnesota, Tampa, Dallas and New York, as well as 2 seasons with the Tampa Bay Storm, and AFL vets James McClinton and David Washington. Defensive back Cameron McGlenn has come up through the Arena League ranks and most recently played in China’s first pro-football league. Defensive back Nick Addison is playing his second year now after spending last season with the Storm.
The Valor also announced the selection of a number of players from the AFL dispersal draft: offensive linemen Moqut Ruffins, John Collins, Adam Shead, and Visesio Salt Jr.; wide receivers Greg Carr, Fred Williams, and Jeremy Gallon; and defensive linemen James Gordon, Laith Wallschleger, and Reggie Wilson. The team has not yet published or released a full roster or depth chart.