Oakland Raiders host three CFL players for NFL workout

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

The Oakland Raiders brought a trio of CFL players to California for an NFL workout.

Montreal Alouettes running back William Stanback, Edmonton Eskimos defensive lineman Nick Usher and Saskatchewan Roughriders linebacker Derrick Moncrief were at the Raiders facility over the weekend.

Stanback rushed for 1,048 yards, third most in the league, and five touchdowns on 6.2 yards per carry with 33 catches for 329 yards in 14 games during the 2019 season. The 25-year-old earned CFL all-star status for his efforts. He rushed 81 times for 539 yards (6.7 yards per carry) and caught 25 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie CFL year.

The physical six-foot-three, 233-pound back played for the University of Central Florida rushing 306 times for 1,151 yards and 16 touchdowns plus 27 receptions for 244 yards and three touchdowns in three years with the Knights. Stanback transferred to Virginia Union University for his senior season where he rushed for 1,299 yards and 15 touchdowns.

After going unselected in the 2017 NFL draft, Green Bay inked Stanback to an undrafted free agent contract, but he was released near the end of Packers training camp. The Hempstead, New York native used the CFL as a spring board back onto the NFL radar.

Usher made 36 tackles, six sacks and three forced fumbles for the Eskimos. The 24-year-old pass rusher was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He was released prior to training camp, worked out for the Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots and inked a pact with the Pats.

He registered five tackles in one pre-season game, but New England released Usher among the final roster cuts. Usher joined the Esks practice roster that October and played eight games in 2018 making seven tackles, three special teams stops, one sack and forced one fumble.

The Los Angeles native played in the NCAA for the University of Texas at El Paso. Usher suited up in 45 games for the Miners posting 178 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, three knockdowns, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. 10 teams attended the UTEP pro day where Usher ran a 4.69 40-yard time, 4.57 shuttle, 7.50 three-cone, 31-inch vertical, 9-foot, 10-inch broad jump and did 19 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.

Moncrief was league all-star at strong-side linebacker. Moncrief recorded 69 tackles, four sacks, three interceptions and forced one fumble in 17 starts for the Riders. After two seasons at Oklahoma State University, Moncrief went overlooked by the NFL in 2017.

Stanback has a handful of NFL workouts scheduled. Meanwhile Usher and Moncrief add the Raiders to their lists after already working out for the Miami Dolphins.