Tag Archives: new orleans saints

NFL, ufl

Merritt, Kirk

CARD: Upper Deck UFL 2025
ACQUIRED: eBay, 2026

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Kirk Merritt RB/WR was very busy in college spending time at Oregon (2015), Texas A&M (’16), East Mississippi CC (’17), and Arkansas State (2018-’19).
  • For the Red Wolves in 2018, he compiled 83 receptions for 1,005 yards and 7 TDs.
  • Then in 2019, he had 70 receptions for 806 yards and 12 touchdowns.
  • Signed in 2020 with the Dolphins where he spent the season on and off the regular season roster and the practice squad through 2021.
  • In 2022, signed with the New Orleans Saints and was on the team’s practice squad through 2023.
  • Signed with the UFL Houston Roughnecks in 2024, and finished with 14 carries for 187 yards and 9 carries for 28 yards and a TD.
  • Then in 2025, posted 33 carries for 91 yards and a TD, and 13 catches for 124 yards.

NOTES:

While I believe in the slow evolution of sets from year to year like an elegant Corvette, this set seems to have taken a path in the wrong direction. It really doesn’t feel risky enough. What position does Kirk play? His position is either too small or disappears into the canvas. I also find the serif on his name stodgy and unnecessary. I opted out of spending the hundreds of dollars needed to purchase this set and the certified autos. I’ll just nickle and dime my way through and probably won’t buy the ’26 set since the Brahmas are no longer in the UFL.

NFL, ufl

Mond, Kellen

CARDS: Panini Elite 2021, Panini Prism 2021, Panini Illusions 2021, Panini Mosaic 2021, Panini Contenders 2021 RotY, Panini Donruss 2021, Panini Prestige 2021, Score 2021, Panini Luminance 2021, Panini Absolute 2021, Panini Illusions 2021 (Vikings), Upper Deck UFL 2025
ACQUIRED: IP 2025, Brahmas Rally. eBay, 2025

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Kellen Mond played QB for Texas A&M from 2017-’20.
  • Over his college career he completed 801/1358 passes for 71 TDs to 27 interceptions.
  • He also ran for 1608 yards and 22 TDs on 438 carries.
  • Selected in the 3rd round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
  • Never really given a chance, as he was drafted by the FO, while HC Mike Zimmer wanted someone else.
  • He completed 2 of 3 passes for 5 yards in a backup role, despite never speaking to his head coach.
  • Signed with the Cleveland Browns after being cut in 2022 but didn’t make the team’s final roster.
  • Joined the Colts practice squad in 2023.
  • Signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2024 but didn’t make the squad.
  • Jumped to the UFL for the 2025 season where he was named the Brahmas starter.
  • Again Mond dropped right into a dysfunctional FO and coaching situation in San Antonio.
  • With HC Wade Philips health ailing, and a pitched battle for control inside the organization, their OC AJ Smith would quit abruptly after week 2.
  • Mond completed 98 of 171 passes for 850 yards and 2 TDs to 2 interceptions in 7 starts.
  • After the Brahmas were unceremoniously euthanized new ownership of the UFL, Mond did not return to the league for 2026.

ACCOLADES:

  • MVP 2021 Senior Bowl

NOTES:

Not going to lie. I took advantage of the event. There were no lines or gatekeepers. The players were highly accessible and friendly- and I was STACKED with cards. I think Kellen got through 15 of them before GM Marc Lillibridge came up and shooed me away. I took it like a champ and Kellen was kind enough to just sign, sign, sign. Kellen was pretty cool. We talked about Htown and the Woodlands for a bit. (I ended up sending 3 or 4 to Joe per our rolling agreement for him to send me additional cards and I skim a few for myself to add to my own).

I really think Kellen had some terrible, terrible luck falling into two dysfunctional front office/ head coaching situations. The UFL doesn’t know what it wants to be honestly. Is it a farm league to the NFL or a professional league of its own? Kellen has some great tools, but he just needs time and the UFL could’ve been a great place for him to grow.

CFL, NFL

Horn, Joe ‘Hollywood’

CARDS: Leaf Rookies & Stars 2004, Leaf Rookies & Stars 2005
ACQUIRED: 2025, Paid Signing

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Joe Horn played WR at tiny Itwamba Community College in Mississippi.
  • He caught 54 passes for 878 yards and 7 TDs and moonlighted as a PR.
  • Did not play football for two years after leaving college.
  • Eventually he caught the attention of the CFL in 1994 during their CFLUSA Invasion.
  • He’d be initially signed by the Baltimore Stallions and then the Shreveport Pirates, before landing on the roster of the Memphis Mad Dogs in 1995.
  • Horn had an outstanding season in the CFL catching 71 passes for 1415 yards.
  • The Chiefs drafted Horn in the 5th round of the 1996 NFL Draft.
  • He’d toil away for the next 4 seasons with the Chiefs only starting 2 contests.
  • Signed with the Saints in 2000 where he’d establish himself as a true receiving threat.
  • Horn caught 94 passes for 1340 yards and 8 TDs that season.
  • He followed up his first thousand yard season with 1265, 1312, and 973 over the next 3 seasons.
  • In 2004, Joe had 94 catches for a career high 1399 yards and 11 TDs.
  • As injuries began to take their toll on Horn, his numbers decreased to a point the Saints asked him to take a pay cut.
  • Released after the 2006 season, Horn finished second in receiving yards and receptions, while setting the franchise mark for receiving TDs with 50 in 7 seasons.
  • Played one final cash grab season with the Falcons in 2007 catching 27 passes for 243 yards and a TD to close out his career.
  • Sells his own BBQ sauce called Bayou 87.
  • Also coaches WR at Northeast Community College.

ACCOLADES:

  • Saints Hall of Fame 2020
  • Pro Bowl 2000-’02, ’04

NOTES:

I had wanted Horn for a while and being that he doesn’t sign TTM when he came cheap, I didn’t hesitate at participating in this signing which also included Rickey Jackson.

Horn is most notoriously known for pulling out a cell phone from underneath a goalpost after scoring a TD during a 2003 Monday Night Football Game.