Syracuse Football: NFL musical chairs, where did everyone end up?
After a crazy cut period, several former Syracuse football players were left without jobs. ITLH recaps who made the cut and who didn’t.
It wasn’t pretty, over 1,100 people lost their jobs in the NFL, including several former Syracuse football players. In case you missed it, 2017 was the first year that the NFL got rid of the intermediate roster cuts from 90 to 75.
Instead the NFL opted for a ritual animal sacrifice of 90 to 53. While on the surface it seems awful for that many players to be released into the free agent pool at the same time, it was actually good for the players.
Players who would’ve typically been cut at the halfway mark actually got additional practice and preseason time because of the new rule. Several Syracuse football players were released and shifted around so lets recap this game of musical chairs.
Syracuse (per ESPN):
- Jay Bromley, New York Giants, Defensive Tackle
- Riley Dixon, Denver Broncos, Punter
- Brisly Estime, New York Jets, Wide Receiver
- Chandler Jones, Arizona Cardinals, Linebacker
- Cameron Lynch, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Linebacker
- Justin Pugh, New York Giants, Offensive Lineman
- Ron Thompson Jr, Washington Redskins, Linebacker
This list of players made the active 53 man roster in the NFL for their respective teams. While that’s the goal for players, there is another option. Of course that is the practice squad.
Each NFL team has up to 10 available spots, but there are a few guidelines that teams must follow per SB Nation:
A player can only be on a practice squad for up to three years, no longer than that.
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Practice squad players must be paid at least $7,200 per week for the 2017 season. If a player is on a team’s practice squad for the entire regular season, that amounts to $122,400 for the year.
If a practice squad player is signed to another team’s active roster, they will receive a minimum of three game checks, no matter how long they remain on that active roster. They can be cut after a week, but they’re still getting three game checks.
The reason I bring this up is because a certain wide receiver who had the greatest season in Syracuse history didn’t make the final 53 with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but made their practice squad.
That was Amba Etta-Tawo! It’s good for multiple reasons. Most teams keep players there to develop them because they liked what they saw in camp. Although not everyone in Orange Nation was so lucky here are a few players that didn’t make the cut and remain free agents: Ryan Nassib, Shamarko Thomas, Marquis Spruill, and Andrew Tiller.
Next: Syracuse Football: 5 questions with Middle Tennesse PxP Chip Walters
All of the players mentioned were in NFL camps this offseason, but for whatever reason didn’t do enough to warrant a practice squad spot (or were ineligible). Out of all the players Nassib seems the most likely to at the very least find a backup spot in the league. While Tiller is another former Orange standout who should find his way onto a NFL roster this season.