Former Commodores Released in Final NFL Cuts

The NFL's 2020 season is scheduled to kick off next weekend, and in preparation for their opening games, with each of the 32 league teams announced cuts to their rosters on Saturday. Rosters must be trimmed to 53 -players by 4 pm.

While the number of former Vanderbilt Commodores working to earn a roster spot with NFL teams was limited, so far, the news has not been good.

In Kansas City, the defending Super Bowl champs parted ways with two former Commodores wide receivers who were part of the Vanderbilt team in 2019.

Kalijah Lipscomb, one of the "big three" Commodores on offense a season ago, now must hope to return to the Chiefs practice squad, or find another hope after receiving his release Saturday.

Likewise, his former Commodores teammates, Justice Shelton-Mosley, who joined Lipscomb as undrafted rookie free-agents with the Chiefs, was also cut on Saturday. Speculation from some media outlets suggest Shelton-Mosley is a candidate for the practice squad in Kansas City because of his special team's prowess.

In Atlanta, the Falcons parted ways, at least temporarily with former Vanderbilt tight end Jared Pinkney, who was cut by the AFC South team after joining them as an undrafted free agent in April.

As with his teammates, there is massive speculation around Atlanta that the Falcons want Pinkney on their practice squad if he clears the waiver wire following his release.

While the lack of preseason games can be blamed for minimizing the opportunities for undrafted players to earn a roster spot with top teams like Kansas City, it can help players who those teams want to return to their practice rosters.

Equally, it can limit the potential for other teams to have seen a player's abilities because of the lack of tape available.

All three former Commodores will find out their fates for the practice squad once waivers have cleared on Sunday.

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