Five Ragin’ Cajuns Make 53 Man NFL Rosters, Four Sign Practice Squad Deals
NFL teams were required to trim down their rosters to the regular season mandate of 53 yesterday.
How did Louisiana Ragin' Cajun alums fare?
In total, five make active NFL rosters. Four signed practice squad deals with the team they were in camp with. And four were waived.
Who made 53 man rosters?
As expected, offensive lineman Robert Hunt made the Miami Dolphins, offensive lineman Kevin Dotson made the Pittsburgh Steelers, and safety Tracy Walker made the Detroit Lions.
None of the three were on the roster bubble, and their statuses on the 53 are no surprise.
In San Francisco, rookie 6th round pick running back Elijah Mitchell made the 49ers regular-season roster, and in New Orleans, defensive tackle Christian Ringo made the Saints 53.
While not a surprise, some media outlets that cover each team felt the players could be on the bubble, but most articles predicting who the team would keep had each player making the team.
Who signed practice squad deals?
Undrafted rookie fullback Nick Ralston, who played one season for Louisiana in 2019, was waived by his childhood favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys. Today, he agreed to a practice squad contract with Dallas.
Wide receiver Ja'Marcus Bradley, who played on Cleveland's active roster in 2020, signed with the Browns practice squad.
Cornerback Michael Jacquet was in a similar situation in Philadelphia, having played for the Eagles last season. He didn't make the cut for 53 this week but did ink a deal to the Eagles practice squad.
Undrafted rookie running back Trey Ragas had a great preseason with the Las Vegas Raiders, leading many to believe he would make the 53 for Jon Gruden's team. His release was a little surprising, but the Raiders didn't want him to get away, signing him to the team's practice squad as soon as he cleared waivers.
The practice squad is a potential springboard for many players to get to the active roster. While the pay is less than a player on the 53, it's a controlled cost for teams that have grown over the years.
Who was waived and is currently a free agent?
Four Ragin' Cajuns were waived by their teams, cleared waivers, and did not sign to a practice squad.
Three of the four are currently free agents.
Veteran running back Elijah McGuire was waived by the Kansas City Chiefs a week ago, reaching an injury settlement with the team.
Defensive tackle Justin Hamilton was waived by the Cowboys yesterday, while STM Cougar alum Deuce Wallace was let go by the Saints.
Second-year running back/returner Raymond Calais was waived by the Los Angeles Rams last week after sustaining a season-ending foot injury that required surgery and was placed on the team's injured reserve after he cleared waivers.
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