13 Pro Hogs make NFL rosters, 7 cut at deadline
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Saturday was the deadline for NFL teams to whittle their rosters down for the upcoming 2020 season.
There are 13 former Arkansas players who made 53-man rosters, as well as seven who were cut at the deadline. Here is a look at those players…
McTelvin Agim - Denver Broncos
The first Arkansas player taken in the 2020 NFL Draft, Agim was selected in the third round by Denver and is expected to play a backup role this season.
Kamren Curl - Washington Football Team
Despite slipping to the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Curl made Washington’s 53-man roster. He beat out veteran Sean Davis, who received a $2 million signing bonus earlier this summer. According to ESPN NFL Nation reporter John Keim, Curl “showed up often in last week or so” and flashed throughout camp.
Trey Flowers - Detroit Lions
Now entering his second year with Detroit, Flowers is coming off a 2019 season in which he got off to a slow start before finally pick up his production and finishing with seven sacks. He has averaged seven sacks the past four years.
Hjalte Froholdt - New England Patriots
A fourth-round pick in 2019, Froholdt played a ton in New England’s preseason games last season and was a candidate to earn a backup role at guard. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury suffered in the preseason finale landed him on injured reserve and ended his season. Now healthy, Froholdt made the 53-man roster and will likely be the Patriots’ backup center and right guard.
Dre Greenlaw - San Francisco 49ers
An injury thrust Greenlaw into more action than expected during his rookie year, which proved to be memorably. Not only did he and the 49ers make it all the way to the Super Bowl, but he made one of the biggest tackles of season when he stopped Jacob Hollister just shy of the goal line as time expired in Week 17 to secure the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
Coming into Year 2, Greenlaw was ranked as the 24th best linebacker in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. He’s spent some time in concussion protocol during camp, but returned to practice a couple of days ago.
Hunter Henry - Los Angeles Chargers
For a couple of months this offseason, Henry was the highest paid tight end in the NFL. Playing on the franchise tag, he’ll make $10.6 million this season, which has since been surpassed by George Kittle and Travis Kelce.
Henry is clearly the No. 1 tight end for the Chargers and could be poised for a big year if he stays healthy. After missing the entire regular season in 2018 because of a torn ACL, he caught 55 passes for 652 yards and five touchdowns last season - despite missing four games with a tibia plateau fracture in his left knee.
Cody Hollister - Tennessee Titans
One of the more surprising former Hogs to make an initial 53-man roster, Hollister spent most of last year on the Titans’ practice squad. Late in the season, though, he was promoted to the active roster and actually grabbed a couple of passes for 13 yards. Many expected Tennessee to keep only five wide receivers this year, but Hollister was one of six remaining after Saturday’s cuts. There’s a chance there’s more movement at the position before the dust settles for Week 1.
Jason Peters - Philadelphia Eagles
In addition to Henry’s contract, one of the biggest headlines for former Razorbacks this offseason was Peters re-signing with the Eagles to play right guard after Brandon Brooks went down with a torn Achilles in June. The future Hall of Famer and nine-time Pro Bowler had been a left tackle his entire career. However, with Andre Dillard suffering a season-ending biceps injury, there’s a chance Peters could end up at left tackle anyways.
Frank Ragnow - Detroit Lions
Last season, Ragnow moved to his natural position of center and end up posting the second-best run blocking grade at the position, according to Pro Football Focus. He also allowed only two sacks in 15 starts despite snapping the ball to three different quarterbacks. If he can take his game to the next level, Ragnow has a good chance to become a first-team All-Pro - something Detroit hasn’t had on the offensive line since 1995, the year before Ragnow was born.
Randy Ramsey - Green Bay Packers
The most surprising player to survive Saturday’s cuts and make a 53-man roster was Ramsey. The former undrafted free agent is one of five outside linebackers to make the cut and he did so despite missing the last week of camp with a groin injury. That might keep him out of Week 1, but it’s believed to be a minor injury. Ramsey, who was a defensive end his last year at Arkansas, spent his rookie year on Green Bay’s practice squad.
Jeremy Sprinkle - Washington Football Team
With several injuries at the spot, Sprinkle ended up starting 13 games for Washington last season. Although he’s not much of a threat in the passing game (only 26 receptions on 600 offensive snaps), Washington likes him for his blocking abilities.
Armon Watts - Minnesota Vikings
Although he made Minnesota’s 53-man roster as a rookie, Watts was inactive the first half of last season. He ended up appearing in six of the Vikings’ final seven games and was productive in limiting playing time, finishing with 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble. This season, he’s one of five defensive tackles on Minnesota’s roster.
Deatrich Wise Jr. - New England Patriots
Despite playing a career-low 23 percent of defensive snaps last season, Wise still managed to post an 85.2 pass-rushing grade, according to Pro Football Focus. He used quarantine to pack on muscle and, based on early reports out of New England, he’s had a really strong offseason.
Released/Waived
Brandon Allen - Cincinnati Bengals
Chase Harrell - San Francisco 49ers
De’Jon Harris - New England Patriots
Jeremiah Ledbetter - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dan Skipper - Detroit Lions
T.J. Smith - Los Angeles Chargers
Jonathan Williams - Detroit Lions
Among the former Razorbacks who didn’t survive Saturday’s cuts, Allen is perhaps the most surprising. He joined Cincinnati on Aug. 1 and, after making three starts for the Broncos last season, seemed like he’d have a great shot at backing up Joe Burrow in 2020. Instead, Allen lost out to Ryan Finley.
There is a chance Allen could still end up with the Bengals. Every NFL team is allowed a 16-man practice squad this season because of the coronavirus pandemic, with up to six spots for vested veterans - players with four or more accrued seasons - like Allen.
The other Arkansas players who didn’t make a 53-man roster could also be signed to a practice squad, but those who were waived must clear waivers first. Teams can start building their practice squads at noon CT Sunday.