There’s a good chance the names on the San Diego Fleet’s wide receiver depth chart won’t sound familiar. But while there may not be alack high-profile receivers on the Fleet roster, all 6 receivers have spent at least some time on an NFL roster this past year before signing with the Fleet. This will hopefully prove valuable once the season starts.
Nelson Spruce (Colorado, Los Angeles Rams)
Those who watched the Los Angeles Rams’ Hard Knocks series may remember Spruce’s fantastic game in the first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys, where he caught six receptions and had the game-winning touchdown. However, Spruce injured his knee on the touchdown grab and was released soon after.
Since then, Spruce has bounced around the Bears, Chiefs and Chargers practice squads before finding a home with the Fleet. From what little we’ve seen from Spruce in his short-lived NFL career, all signs point to him being successful with the Fleet. At the University of Colorado, he set or tied 43 school/conference records, including the conference record for career receptions.
While Spruce hasn’t played in a meaningful game since his time with the Rams, it seems likely he’ll be one of the best offensive options on the Fleet this season.
Francis Owusu (Stanford, Miami Dolphins)
Owusu was a 4-star prospect at Southern California’s Oaks Christian High School. He caught 34 passes for 3 touchdowns while at Stanford, including what some was the touchdown catch of the year in 2015.
Like the rest of the receivers on this list, Owusu was on and off the Dolphins roster before signing with the Fleet this past November. Although not incredibly fast, at 6’3” Owusu is the tallest receiver on the team and should be a viable red zone target.
Dontez Ford (Pittsburgh Panthers, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys)
Ford was second on the Detroit Lions in receiving yards and scored a touchdown during the 2018 preseason, but was released during final roster cuts. The 24-year-old has the size, speed and pass-catching ability to be a nice weapon for the Fleet and QB Mike Bercovici.
LaQuvionte Gonzalez (Kansas, Los Angeles Rams)
Like Spruce two years prior, Gonzalez was with the Rams in training camp in 2018 before being eventually being released before the start of the season. Although a talented receiver, but some off the field issues caused Gonzalez to be dismissed from the University of Kansas after an impressive junior year. Gonzalez is joining the Fleet with something to prove and will likely get significant playing time this season as perhaps the Fleet’s best deep threat receiver.
Brian Brown (Richmond, Detroit Lions)
Brown was a prolific receiver at the University of Richmond, breaking the school’s career receiving record as a senior in 2016. His abilities caught the eyes of the Dallas Cowboys, who signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2017. Brown was on the Cowboys practice squad in 2017 and joined the Lions practice squad the following year.
Kameron Kelly (San Diego State, Dallas Cowboys)
Kelly is a converted cornerback who played at local San Diego State. With the Aztecs, Kelly was a shutdown corner who had an impressive 9 career interceptions. Many projected Kelly to go in the late rounds in the 2018 NFL draft, so it was surprising when no team selected him. The Cowboys signed Kelly as an undrafted free agent and seemed like he had a good chance to sneak on the active roster. However, Dallas released him before the start of the season.
Now a receiver (a position he played and excelled at in high school), Kelly has great potential and can obviously catch the ball, as evidenced by his 9 career interceptions in college. Look for Kelly to be another reliable deep threat and play a big part in special teams.
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