Of the over 1,100 players shown the door by their teams on Saturday afternoon, roughly a third of them will find themselves on practice squads throughout the National Football League - ten of them in Foxbourough with the New England Patriots - with the guarantee that their minimum salary will amount to $107K if the player spends the entire year on the scout team.
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| WR/RB D.J. Foster |
Practice squad, scout team, taxi squad, call it what you will - probably dependent on what era you grew up in - but for a football player with dreams of playing on Sundays, being on the ten-man practice squad means that you are but one step away from realizing that dream - even though that step taken would be due to another player's misfortune.
And that step doesn't necessarily take place in Foxborough, as practice squad members are technically restricted free agents, restricted in that if another team comes-a-callin' and wants to poach a player from another team's squad, the Collective Bargaining Agreement requires that the player taken must be on that team's active roster for three weeks.
That happens every so often, with the last time the Patriots engaging in the practice being in 2014, when they poached nose tackle Sealver Siliga from the Seattle Seahawks practice squad, and he remained on the Patriots' roster through 2015 and won a ring when New England beat the Seahawks in Super Bowl 49.
So, it's a hell of an opportunity to ply their trade, and get coached up. Strength and conditioning is part of the deal as well, as are all the amenities available to the players on the active roster, and they get Sundays off...
Patriots head ball coach and general manager Bill Belichick just had the unpleasant task of handing out pink slips to 37 players, but cheered up a bit when informing nine players (as of press time) that their NFL careers are still alive:
D. J. Foster - The second year running back has three different scenarios in which he would be called up to the big league club, as an injury or some other misfortune to either a running back, a wide receiver or to whomever ends up returning punts would open the door for the multi-talented Arizona State product.
David Jones - The undrafted rookie safety from Richmond has tremendous size (6' 3", 215 lbs), but is a bit fragile, having injured his right forearm multiple times in his last two seasons in college. He has untapped potential as a fierce-hitting strong safety.
Damarius Travis - another safety with great size (6' 2", 210), the undrafted free agent from Minnesota narrowly missed being named to the active roster as a backup free safety due to his fantastic mixture of speed and range.
Geneo Grissom - Grissom would probably have made the roster as well, were it not for a cutdown day trade with Seattle for the manic and violent Cassius Marsh. Grissom is in his third season in New England, but was inactive much of the time despite being on the 53.
Cody Hollister - Twin brother of tight end Jaocb Hollister who made the active roster, Cody is a large but not overly speedy receiver who needs work on route running. The Arkansas alum will get plenty of coaching on the practice squad.
Trevor Bates - A second stint on the squad for the Maine native, an active linebacker from a small school was drafted by the Colts last season and spent time on their squad before being released and ending up in Foxborough.
Ted Karras - the great nephew of former Detroit Lion standout and movie horse-puncher Alex Karras, the Illinios product was on the active roster last season but saw very little action. He will be the first player elevated if anything happens to a lineman.
James Ferentz - The son of a Belichick friend and an Iowa standout, Ferentz is on his third practice squad in as many years, having been assigned initially by the Houston Texans, then the Denver Broncos and now New England. This is his last season of eleigibilty.
Darius Kilgo - A sixth-round draft pick of the Broncos last season, this is the 320 pound defensive tackle's second stint on the Patriots' practice squad, and the only reserve defensive lineman on the squad.
Belichick still has one spot to fill on the practice squad, perhaps saving a spot in case he makes any other transaction on the active roster, which is always evolving. The Patriots also had four players clear waivers with an injury designation and have reverted back to the team's Injured Reserved List:
Defensive tackle Josh Augusta
Wide Receiver Devin Lucien
Defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton
Cornerback D.J. Killings
The team lost four players to waiver claims on Sunday, including fan favorites in receiver Austin Carr claimed by the Saints and cornerback Kenny Moore, claimed by Colts, and also lost offensive tackle Conor McDermott who was claimed by Buffalo and tight end James O'Shaunnessey, who is now in Jacksonville.
As always, stand by for more information.
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