Undrafted Ex-Cal OT Jake Curhan Makes Seahawks’ 53-Man Roster
Former Cal offensive tackle Jake Curhan was not taken in the 2021 NFL draft, but he has made the Seattle Seahawks regular-season roster.
Curhan joins Los Angeles Chargers tight end Stephen Anderson as former Golden Bears who were borderline cases but were still on NFL rosters after teams cut down to the regular-season limit of 53 players on Tuesday.
Vikings rookie Camryn Bynum also earned a spot on Minnesota’s regular-season roster, but that was a foregone conclusion. Bynum, a fourth-round draft pick who started every preseason game, is expected to get playing time this season at safety, although he won’t be an opening-game starter.
---Click here for a story on former Cal players who were released Tuesday---
Curhan was a four-year starter at California and probably would have been drafted had it not been for a heart condition discovered during a pre-draft medical evaluation.
Curhan acknowledged soon after the draft that he thought that issue might prevent him from being drafted, but he also said that he had known about the condition for a long time and it was not a concern.
A number of teams were interested in signing Curhan as a free agent, but the Seahawks’ history with free agents and Curhan’s relationship with line coach Mike Solari led him to Seattle.
He started all three of the Seahawks’ preseason games as Seattle held all of their starting offensive linemen out of preseason action. Curhan played a couple different spots along the line, indicating that his versatility played a role in Seattle’s decision to keep him.
---Anderson’s status with the Chargers seemed shaky when it was assumed the Chargers would keep only three tight ends, but they opted to keep four, with Anderson joining Jared Cook, Donald Parham and Tre’ McKitty.
The Chargers had three tight ends on the roster last season and Anderson was the No. 3 tight end. He played in all 16 games last year, with three starts, and had eight catches for 106 yards.
Anderson was in the starting lineup for Saturday’s final preseason game against Seattle, although he played only 10 offensive plays and five special-teams plays. He caught the only pass thrown in his direction for a 10-yard gain.
A number of other former Cal players knew they were assured a spot on their teams’ rosters. Here are the other ex-Golden Bears on 53-man NFL rosters:
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Packers
Quarterback Jared Goff, Lions
Wide receiver Kennan Allen, Chargers
Wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr., Jaguars
Defensive end Cameron Jordan, Saints
Wide receiver DeSean Jackson, Rams
Defensive lineman Tyson Alualu, Steelers
Center Alex Mack, 49ers
Offensive lineman Patrick Mekari, Ravens
Punter Bryan Anger, Cowboys
Safety Ashtyn Davis, Jets (on Physically Unable to Perform list with foot injury)
Safety Jaylinn Hawkins, Falcons
.
Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53
Find Cal Sports Report on Facebook by searching: @si.calsportsreport or going to https://www.facebook.com/si.calsportsreport
