Two wide receivers who caught 14 passes apiece for Alabama last season are among the undrafted rookies who survived the massive NFL cuts on Saturday, when teams reduced their preseason rosters to the league’s regular-season limit.
More than 1,000 players were waived or released since the preseason closed on Thursday night, and the action isn’t over yet as teams will compare the new free agents with the players on their rosters during the night. With the waiver-claiming deadline arriving at 11 a.m. CDT Sunday, more roster changes will follow.
For now, though, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Robert Foster, Washington Redskins wide receiver Cam Sims and four other undrafted rookies with Alabama roots are on NFL regular-season rosters.
The other undrafted rookies from state high schools and colleges who earned spots on NFL rosters include Redskins center Casey Dunn (Hewitt-Trussville, Auburn), New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth (Murphy), Minnesota Vikings running back Roc Thomas (Oxford, Jacksonville State) and Baltimore Ravens cornerback Darious Williams (UAB).
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Eighteen draft picks with Alabama roots also remain on 53-player rosters. The state’s draft picks still with their NFL teams include:
- Miami Dolphins cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick (Alabama), first round.
- Washington Redskins defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne (Shades Valley, Alabama), first round.
- Tennessee Titans linebacker Rashaan Evans (Auburn High, Alabama), first round.
- Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley (Alabama), first round.
- Indianapolis Colts guard Braden Smith (Auburn), second round.
- Detroit Lions running back Kerryon Johnson (Madison Academy, Auburn), second round.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis (Auburn), second round.
- Jacksonville Jaguars safety Ronnie Harrison (Alabama), third round.
- Detroit Lions defensive end Da’Shawn Hand (Alabama), fourth round.
- Baltimore Ravens cornerback Anthony Averett (Alabama), fourth round.
- Atlanta Falcons running back Ito Smith (McGill-Toolen), fourth round.
- Buffalo Bills safety Siran Neal (Eufaula, Jacksonville State), fifth round.
- Minnesota Vikings place-kicker Daniel Carlson (Auburn), fifth round.
- Green Bay Packers punter JK Scott (Alabama), fifth round.
- Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Tremon Smith (Saks), sixth round.
- Washington Redskins linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton (Carver-Montgomery, Alabama), sixth round.
- Baltimore Ravens center Bradley Bozeman (Handley, Alabama), sixth round.
- Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle Korey Cunningham (Montevallo), seventh round.
Three state players who were drafted in April didn’t survive the Saturday cutdown — Cardinals cornerback Chris Campbell (Central-Phenix City), a sixth-round selection, and Dallas Cowboys running back Bo Scarbrough (Alabama) and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Joshua Frazier (Alabama), who were seventh-round picks.
Two state players who aren’t rookies but didn’t play in an NFL game in 2017 remain on rosters. Defensive tackle Devaroe Lawrence (Auburn) spent his rookie season on injured reserve, but is now with the Cleveland Browns after being traded by the New Orleans Saints on Saturday. Running back Troymaine Pope (Anniston, Jacksonville State) played in four games with two teams in 2016, but he spent 2017 on the practice squads of the Colts and Houston Texans. He stuck on the Texans’ roster on Saturday.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.
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