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Alabama in the NFL Roster Updates: Practice Squad Players and Post-Cutdown Statuses
Around the League
With 2021 NFL Training Camp ending, here you'll find updates of Alabama players in the NFL who are waived, released and/or newly-announced practice squad players as part of preseason roster movement across the league.
The first deadline of roster cuts for NFL teams was by August 17, with the second date being a week later, August 24, and the final round of cuts coming on August 31, the leaguewide deadline to reach a 53-man roster prior to the regular season.
Then, after August 31, players who were waived without injury designation and cleared the waiver wire are able to sign as practice squad players. Each NFL team is permitted to sign 16 players to its practice squad roster.
Below is a list of former Alabama players to do so, as of September 1.
Update of Practice Squad Players
- Tony Brown, CB - Cincinnati Bengals
- Gehrig Dieter, WR - Kansas City Chiefs
- Jared Mayden, DB - San Francisco 49ers
- Christian Miller, DE - Pittsburgh Steelers
- Ross Pierschbacher, OL - Philadelphia Eagles
- Andre Smith, OT - Baltimore Ravens
Training Camp Roster Update
Below is a list of roster updates up to and past the cutdown deadline of August 31, including injury news, free agent news, players waived/released, players placed on the Injury Reserve list, Non-Football Injury list, and players placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
* indicates a player was placed on the Injured Reserve List or waived with an injury designation.
Ryan Anderson, LB
Linebacker Ryan Anderson was released by the New York Giants after being suspended by the league for the first six games of the regular season for violating its NFL Policy and and Program on Performance Enhancing Substances.
Anderson, the former member of the Washington Football Team, arrived to the Giants this offseason as a free agent signing to a one-year contract.
Tony Brown, CB
The Cincinnati Bengals have waived former Alabama cornerback Tony Brown. He along with 20 other players were waived without an injury designation.
Brown played at Alabama from 2014-17, and was part of two national championship teams (2015, 2017) before signing as an undrafted free agent to the Los Angeles Chargers and, eventually, spending most of 2018 and 2019 a Green Bay Packer.
Shyheim Carter, DB
Shyheim Carter was released by the Houston Texans as of August 30, the day prior to the leaguewide deadline of roster cuts.
The former Alabama defensive back, who had returned to the Crimson Tide as a graduate assistant in 2020, is eligible to return to the Texans as a member of its practice squad if he clears waivers.
Lester Cotton, OL
The Las Vegas Raiders announced it waived third-year offensive lineman Lester Cotton, as its 53-man roster became official Tuesday afternoon.
Cotton, a two-time national champion while at Alabama, joined the Raiders as an undrafted free agent signing following the 2019 NFL Draft.
Landon Dickerson, C
Landon Dickerson, a 2021 second round draft selection of the Philadelphia Eagles, is cleared to resume football activity after clearing the Non-Football Injury list and passing the requisite physical.
The 2020 All-American and Rimington Trophy recipient suffered a torn ACL in the Crimson Tide's SEC Championship game to Florida, and until just recently, had been a non-participant of Eagles training camp.
Gehrig Dieter, WR
Tuesday it became official that Gehrig Dieter had been released by the Kansas City Chiefs.
The fifth-year wide receiver has spent the entirety of his NFL career with Kansas City, and now Dieter, the former Bowling Green transfer-turned-national champion at Alabama in 2015, will enter into the waiver wire.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, the former All-Pro safety, signed to the San Francisco 49ers on August 12, and less than three weeks later he's once again a free agent.
The 28-year-old was drafted by the Green Bay Packers with the 21st overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. And after more than four seasons with Green Bay, Clinton-Dix then played for the Washington Football Team, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, and, most recently, the 49ers.
*Thomas Fletcher, LS
Rookie long snapper Thomas Fletcher has been placed on IR by the Carolina Panthers. The team decided to make to move because of a hip injury sustained this preseason.
Fletcher, a four-year player and two-time national champion at Alabama (2017, 2020), entered the NFL as a sixth-round selection of the Panthers with the 222nd overall pick of this year's draft.
Miller Forristall, TE
Miller Forristall was waived by the Tennessee Titans on the date of the 53-man roster deadline, and as a result, will have to clear waivers to rejoin the Titans as a practice squad player.
The former Alabama tight end signed to Tennessee as an undrafted free agent following his last season with the Crimson Tide, 2020.
Reuben Foster, LB
Free agent Reuben Foster worked out for the New York Jets, per his agent, two days after the 53-man roster cutdown, September 2.
The former All-American linebacker at Alabama began his pro career as a San Francisco 49er before being released and picked up by the Washington Football Team. Foster is coming off knee surgery and hasn't played since 2019.
*Robert Foster, WR
Robert Foster was initially released by the Dolphins on August 24 and was given an injury designation upon being waived from the team. After clearing waivers from the other 31 teams, Foster was then transferred to the Dolphins' IR.
The wide receiver played at Alabama from 2013-17 before signing to the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He also spent time with the Green Bay Packers and Washington Football Team prior to signing with the Miami Dolphins in March of 2021.
*De'Shawn Hand, DE
The Detroit Lions announced defensive end De'Shawn Hand was placed on the team's IR list, as of September 2.
Hand, the former Alabama defensive lineman, was selected by Detroit with the 114th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
*Anfernee Jennings, LB
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings has been placed on IR by the Patriots, meaning he won't be playing in 2021.
The 87th overall pick in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Jennings was set to enter his second season with New England after appearing in 14 of the team's games in his rookie campaign.
Ryan Kelly, C
Ryan Kelly, the Indianapolis Colts center who had just returned to action from an elbow injury, was placed on the team's Reserve/COVID-19 list as of August 30.
As of September 2, though, Kelly was activated and removed from the team's Reserve/COVID-19 list, and he has returned to practice.
Kelly also converted $9 million of his 2021 player salary into bonuses, per ESPN's Field Yates, which cleared nearly $7 million in salary cap space for the Colts entering the regular season
Jared Mayden, DB
Jared Mayden has been waived by the San Francisco 49ers, and upon release of its most recent roster, the former Alabama defensive back must now go on the waiver wire.
Mayden joined San Francisco out of Alabama as an undrafted free agent signing prior to the 2020 NFL season.
Cole Mazza, LS
Prior to the team releasing its initial 53-man roster, the Los Angeles Chargers announced it waived long snapper Cole Mazza with an injurt designation.
Similar to Foster's situation with Miami, the designation means Mazza would have to clear waivers to rejoin the Chargers and be placed on its IR.
*AJ McCarron, QB
The eighth-year NFL veteran, AJ McCarron, was signed by the Falcons this offseason before suffering a torn ACL during the team's preseason game to Miami on August 21. Subsequently, McCarron was placed on the IR to open up a roster spot for Atlanta.
McCarron played at Alabama from 2009-13 before being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft (164th overall).
Christian Miller, DE
The Carolina Panthers announced defensive end Christian Miller has been waived from the team, and he entered the waiver wire upon its announcement.
The former Alabama defender spent two seasons with the Panthers upon being selected with the 115th overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Dylan Moses, LB
Rookie Dylan Moses has been placed on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list by the Jacksonville Jaguars, this upon the deadline of teams to announce 53-man rosters.
Moses, an undrafted linebacker and four-year player at Alabama, was designated to the same list earlier this summer, July 20. And as a rookie with a NFI designation, Moses will not only be sidelined but also won't be entitled to a salary while deemed inactive.
Ross Pierschbacher, OL
The Philadelphia Eagles announced it waived the offensive lineman, Ross Pierschbacher, who had signed to the team late last season after beginning his NFL career with the Washington Football Team.
He'll enter the waiver wire now, where all 31 franchises will have the chance to claim the former Crimson Tide lineman off waivers.
Carson Tinker, LS
Beginning his NFL career as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Carson Tinker signed with the New York Giants prior to the start of 2020 after five seasons in the AFC South. Tinker was then released by the Giants on August 24.
The former Alabama long snapper was part of the Crimson Tide's 2009 national championship team, the first under Alabama coach Nick Saban, and also played on the 2011 and 2012 national title-winning teams.
Bo Scarbrough, RB
After his third season at Alabama, Bo Scarbrough entered the 2018 NFL Draft and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round with the 236th overall pick.
But, since bouncing from Dallas to Detroit to Seattle, the fourth-year running back signed with the Las Vegas Raiders on August 6. And following competition alongside fellow, former Alabama running backs Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake, and BJ Emmons, he was released August 18, less than two weeks after arriving to Raiders camp.
JK Scott, P
The Green Bay Packers completed a trade for Los Angeles Rams punter Corey Bororquez and a future draft pick in exchange for a future pick of its own, and subsequently, JK Scott has been released by the team.
Green Bay announced his release when it released its initial 53-man roster Tuesday afternoon.
Andre Smith, OT
The veteran right tackle from Alabama, Andre Smith, was released August 23 by the Baltimore Ravens. He missed the entire 2020 by way of opt-out, but prior to, the 13-year veteran played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, and Minnesota Vikings after Cincinnati selected him with the sixth overall pick of the 2009 NFL Draft.
While playing for the Crimson Tide from 2006-08, Smith missed only one start and played in 38 of 39 games in college. He was the first Alabama offensive lineman to be a first round draft pick since Chris Samuels nine years earlier.
Irv Smith, Jr., TE
Irv Smith, Jr., The third-year tight end of the Minnesota Vikings will miss the team's season opener, and likely significant time after that, following a meniscus injury that requires Smith to undergo a knee operation.
Smith suffered the injury in Minnesota's preseason finale to the Kansas City Chiefs, and, as with the nature of it, the former Alabama player and second round draft pick will be sidelined an undetermined amount of time.
Saivion Smith, CB
The Denver Broncos released cornerback Saivion Smith the day prior to the team's cutdown deadline.
Smith, who played at Alabama in 2018 as transfer, signed to Denver earlier this month after spending time with the Dallas Cowboys, the Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the XFL's Houston Roughnecks.
Damion Square, DT
The Cleveland Browns released Damion Square, a ninth-year defensive tackle, on August 19 to make room for wide receiver signing JoJo Ward.
He signed to Cleveland in May after seven seasons with the San Diego-turned-Los Angeles Chargers, a career in the AFC West that included 24 starts in 81 appearances.
Square signed to the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent post-2013 NFL Draft, though, after a four-year career at Alabama from 2009-12, and played in the NFC East for one season before heading west.
Carl Tucker, FB/TE
The Miami Dolphins have waived tight end/fullback Carl Tucker, the former UNC transfer to Alabama who spent 2020 with the Crimson Tide prior to signing as a free agent to Miami.
He, along with Foster, were of the handful of former Alabama players at Dolphins camp, joining quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
This story will be updated as necessary.
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