NFL teams now have their final 53-man rosters set. Find out who from your favorite ACC team made the cut, nearly made the cut or made the cut before the cut (to a 75-man roster).
Boston College didn’t have anyone drafted last year. A number of Eagles — either rookies or young players — made it to the final cut day, though. Also, veteran cornerback Will Blackmon was picked up by the Jaguars after the Seahawks waived him last week. Two other vets were cut by the Redskins: OT Jeremy Trueblood and DT Ron Brace.
Cuts to 53:OT Emmett Cleary (Colts)DE Antonio Garay (Jets)TE Chris Pantale (Jets)WR Ifeanyi Momah (Eagles)C Matt Tennant (Eagles)
Cuts to 75:LB Nick Clancy (Falcons)CB Donnie Fletcher (Jets)P Ryan Quigley (Jets)
All four Clemson draft picks made their respective teams. No surprise for WR Nuk Hopkins (a first-rounder in Houston) or DE Malliciah Goodman (a fourth-round pick by the Falcons, but fifth-round safety Jonathan Meeks made the Bills, as did sixth-round Cardinals’ running back Andre Ellington. Joining Ellington in Arizona is former teammate and undrafted free agent WR Jaron Brown. Another undrafted free agent, linebacker Jonathan Willard, made the Tennessee Titans practice squad. Oh, and he pulled a family from a burning car this off-season, too. Guard Antoine McClain spent all last season on the Ravens’ practice squad and was picked up by the Raiders.
Cuts to 53:DE Kourtnei Brown (Bills)CB Crezdon Butler (Bills)CB Xavier Brewer (Cowboys)S Rashard Hall (Rams)G Thomas Austin (Colts)* (signed to Colts’ practice squad)
Cuts to 75:DE Miguel Chavis (Chiefs)C Dalton Freeman (Jets)T Barry Richardson (Titans)
Former Duke star Matt Daniels got the best news this week as the safety made the St. Louis Rams roster. And former quarterback Sean Renfree didn’t get bad news, either — he was put on injured reserve by the Falcons after suffering an undisclosed injury in the preseason finale. Some have described it as essentially a “redshirt” season, a way for the Falcons to save Renfree (while still paying him).
Another former Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis was released by the Buffalo Bills once it became clear former FSU quarterback EJ Manuel would be back to start the opener. But Lewis was signed to the Bills’ practice squad. Vernon was one of the more popular Raiders in camp, but it remains to be seen if he'll be retained on the practice squad.
Cuts to 53: WR Conner Vernon (Raiders) TE Cooper Helfet (Seahawks) QB Thaddeus Lewis (Bills)* (signed to Bills’ practice squad)
Cuts to 75:None
Ten of Florida State’s 11 drafted players made a team with the exception of Everett Dawkins — and even he made the practice squad. Naturally, a number of Seminoles old and new flirted with some NFL teams and nearly made the final cuts.
Cuts to 53:OT Zebrie Sanders (Bills) DT Andre Fluellen (Lions)OT Andrew Datko (Packers)DT Anthony McCloud (Vikings)WR Rodney Smith (Vikings)LB Everette Brown (Eagles)DT Everett Dawkins (Vikings)* (signed to Vikings’ practice squad)
Cuts to 75:DE Markus White (Buccaneers)
No Yellow Jackets were drafted last year, but undrafted free agent cornerback Rod Sweeting made his way onto the Saints’ final roster.
Cuts to 53:RB Anthony Allen (Ravens)DT T.J. Barnes (Jaguars)RB Jonathan Dwyer (Steelers)LB Gary Guyton (Titans)DE Izaan Cross (Bills)* (signed to Bills practice squad)
Cuts to 75:CB Mario Butler (Broncos)
Wideout Kevin Dorsey was Maryland’a only drafted player, and he was put on IR by the Packers. But arguably the Terrapins’ two biggest personalities from last year — DTs Joe Vellano and A.J. Francis - somehow found themselves on the same roster in New England. Vellano made the Patriots’ initial roster after the cuts to 53, and Francis, who was on the Dolphins, didn’t. The Patriots were able to sign Francis before the Dolphins could stash him on their practice squad, and thus the two are teammates once again.
Cuts to 53:TE Dan Gronkowski (Browns)RB Lance Ball (Broncos)TE Matt Furstenburg (Ravens)* (signed to Ravens’ practice squad)LB Darin Drakeford (Chiefs)* (signed to Chiefs’ practice squad)
Cuts to 75:FB Devonte Campbell (Falcons)OT Bruce Campbell (Panthers)C/OG Edwin Williams (Bears)RB Davin Meggett (Colts)WR Isaiah Williams (Raiders)
You think Miami, you think NFL. Well, aside from last year’s draft picks (CB Brandon McGee and RB Mike James, both of whom made their respective rosters), the names that made teams this year all have different stories. Center/guard (and undrafted) Harland Gunn had been cut a few times after his senior year at Miami (2011), and he finally latched on with the Falcons, it would appear. He made the final 53. Linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong was also an undrafted free agent and was signed by the Rams, while offensive lineman Brandon Washington still hasn’t played an NFL game since leaving school early in 2011 but made the Rams roster.
Cuts to 53:C Tyler Horn (Texans)TE Chase Ford (Vikings)DT Micanor Regis (Falcons)DE Baraka Atkins (Saints)TE Richard Gordon (Raiders)NT Antonio Dixon (Eagles)DT Marcus Forston (Patriots)* (signed to Patriots’ practice squad)DE Adewale Ojomo (Giants)* (signed to Giants’ practice squad)
Cuts to 75:RB Damien Berry (Ravens)DB Cory Nelms (Raiders)S Kenny Phillips (Eagles)CB DeMarcus Van Dyke (Steelers) WR Tommy Streeter (Ravens)* (signed to Bills’ practice squad)
The No. 7 overall pick, right guard Jonathan Cooper, was put on season-ending IR after breaking his leg during a preseason game. Third-round tackle Brennan Williams was also put on the injured reserve, but he missed most of the preseason with a knee injury. Sylvester Williams and Giovani Bernard (with the Broncos and Bengals respectively), taken 28th and 37th overall, obviously made their teams. The best story was undrafted free agent linebacker Kevin Reddick, a team leader a year ago, who found a spot on the Saints’ final roster this year.
Cuts to 53:TE Richard Quinn (Cardinals) TE Zack Pianalto (Panthers) RB Shaun Draughn (Chiefs)DT Marvin Austin (Giants) OG Travis Bond (Vikings)* (Signed to Vikings’ practice squad)
Cuts to 75:WR Jheranie Boyd (Bengals) WR Erik Highsmith (Vikings) LB Quan Sturdivant (Redskins)
Wolfpack draftees CB David Amerson, QB Mike Glennon and S Earl Wolff all obviously made their teams (Redskins, Buccaneers and Eagles, respectively). But undrafted free agent cornerback C.J. Wilson made the Bears roster, and linebacker Terrell Manning, who didn’t play much as a rookie last year and was cut by the Packers, was picked up by the Chargers.
Cuts to 53:DB Brandon Bishop (Vikings)
Cuts to 75:C Camden Wentz (Vikings)
Pitt already has its fair share of NFL alums, but it wasn’t able to add to the list of young players this year with none drafted a few just missing the cut:
Cuts to 53:RB Zach Brown (Bills)TE Dorin Dickerson (Bills)G C.J. Davis (Broncos)LB Dom DeCicco (Buccaneers)DB Kennard Cox (Chiefs)
Cuts to 75: RB Ray Graham (Texans)WR Maurice Williams (Colts)TE Mike Shanahan (Buccaneers)C Ryan Turley (Bills)
OT Justin Pugh and QB Ryan Nassib were both drafted early by the Giants, and fourth-round safety Shamarko Thomas has made the Pittsburgh Steelers roster as well. A few others — including some familiar names — couldn’t stick on NFL rosters this year, though.
Cuts to 53: RB Delone Carter (Ravens) G Zach Chibane (Bills) TE Nick Provo (Bills) OG Andrew Tiller (Saints) LB Doug Hogue (Panthers)
Cuts to 75:WR Marcus Sales (Falcons) RB Curtis Brinkley (Bears) OL Ryan Durand (Chiefs)
Guard Oday Aboushi was drafted in the fifth round by the Jets, but undrafted free agent linebacker LaRoy Reynolds also managed to make the Jaguars’ final 53.
Cuts to 53:DB Chase Minnifield (Redskins)* (signed to Redskins’ practice squad)
Cuts to 75:WR Jared Green (Cowboys) (75)CB Ras-I Dowling (Patriots)
Some of the Hokies’ draft picks couldn’t hold on a to roster spot (see Corey Fuller and Vinston Painter), but the best story might be undrafted free agent tight end Andre Smith. He was signed by the Bears last year, waived by the Colts and then signed by the Cowboys. He hasn’t recorded a statistic in a football game that counted since 2010, his senior year at Virginia Tech.
Cuts to 53:S Cody Grimm (Buccaneers)CB Roc Carmichael (Texans)LB Bruce Taylor (Bengals)WR Danny Coale (Cowboys)* (signed to Cowboys’ practice squad)OT Vinston Painter (Broncos)* (signed to Broncos’ practice squad)WR Corey Fuller (Lions)* (signed to Lions’ practice squad)OT Nick Becton (Chargers)* (signed to Chargers’ practice squad)
Cuts to 75:CB Eddie Whitley (Eagles)* (with an injury settlement) S Alonzo Tweedy (Giants)
He wasn’t exactly undrafted, but he was close — rookie fullback (and 7th-round pick) Tommy Bohanon not only made the Jets’ roster, he’ll be starting at fullback. Undrafted free agent tackle Dennis Godfrey was cut by Dallas in the 75-man round, as was former great Deacon linebacker Aaron Curry (by the Giants). The No. 4 overall pick in the 2009 Draft, he never quite lived up to that billing and decided to retire from football.
Cuts to 53:None
Cuts to 75:LB Aaron Curry (Giants)OT Dennis Godfrey (Cowboys)
