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The 2016 NFL regular season is less than a week away and teams have made their final roster cuts. There were quite a few former Ohio State players who were waived ahead of the final 53-man rosters, but two of the 2016 undrafted free agents beat the odds and solidified their place in the league.
While there is still a chance for a waived player to be picked up by another squad, most of the 12 players cut have been on the receiving end of that news more than once in their short NFL careers. In addition to the 12 players cut, three were placed on IR/PUP lists and 37 made final active rosters.
With so many Buckeyes in the league, there will be few games played without at least one former Ohio State player in the starting lineup.
Waived/Released
Despite collegiate success, utilization doesn't always translate to the NFL, as evidenced by a few of the repeats on the waived list the past few years. Players like Chimdi Chekwa, Boom Herron and DeVier Posey have bounced around to a few different teams in the past 12 months, and still haven't found a landing spot. Herron tweeted after news of his release, hinting toward facing a future without football.
Might be that time...
— Boom Herron (@BOOMHERRON1) September 2, 2016
Two of the 2016 undrafted free agents -- Chase Farris and Joel Hale -- didn't make it past the first round of cuts despite additional snaps in the preseason due to injuries. Doran Grant and Jake Stoneburner spent the 2015 season on (and occasionally off) the practice squad, but were officially let go ahead of the 2016 season.
PLAYER | TEAM | POSITION |
Christian Bryant | Los Angeles Rams | Safety |
Chimdi Chekwa | Miami Dolphins | Cornerback |
Chase Farris* | Detroit Lions | Offensive Lineman |
Reid Fragel | Kansas City Chiefs | Offensive Tackle |
Curtis Grant | Tennessee Titans | Linebacker |
Doran Grant | Pittsburgh Steelers | Cornerback |
Joel Hale* | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Guard |
Daniel Herron | Buffalo Bills | Running Back |
DeVier Posey | Denver Broncos | Wide Receiver |
Rod Smith | Dallas Cowboys | Running Back |
Jake Stoneburner | Los Angeles Rams | Tight End |
Donald Washington | Pittsburgh Steelers | Strong Safety |
*2016 undrafted free agent
Injured Reserve/PUP
Two of the three players heading into the 2016 season injured are second year players Michael Bennett and Devin Smith. Smith might be in a precarious situation when he finally rejoins the Jets, as rookie -- and former Ohio State teammate -- Jalin Marshall, has stepped into the role meant for Smith. The second year player was never able to click on special teams and spent most of his rookie year injured -- with limited production and results, his spot could be in jeopardy upon his return.
PLAYER | TEAM | POSITION | DESIGNATION |
Michael Bennett | Jacksonville Jaguars | Defensive Tackle | IR list |
Corey Linsley | Green Bay Packers | Center | PUP list |
Devin Smith | New York Jets | Wide Receiver | PUP list |
Final landing spots
There were four undrafted free agents following the 2016 NFL Draft, but Jalin Marshall and Tyvis Powell are the two who earned full time roles in the NFL. Marshall showed off in the preseason for the Jets on both offense and special teams; his 80-plus yard kick return in Week 1 earned notice from the coaching staff. Powell likewise showed off in his NFL debut pulling in his first interception as the newest member of the Legion of Boom in Seattle.
PLAYER | TEAM | POSITION |
Mike Adams | Chicago Bears | Offensive Lineman |
Eli Apple | New York Giants | Cornerback |
Darryl Baldwin | Dallas Cowboys | Tackle |
Vonn Bell | New Orleans Saints | Safety |
Alex Boone | Minnesota Vikings | Guard |
Joey Bosa | San Diego Chargers | Defensive End |
Corey Brown | Carolina Panthers | Wide Receiver |
Kurt Coleman | Carolina Panthers | Defensive Back |
Taylor Decker | Detroit Lions | Offensive Tackle |
Nate Ebner | New England Patriots | Defensive Back |
Ezekiel Elliott | Dallas Cowboys | Running Back |
Ted Ginn Jr. | Carolina Panthers | Wide Receiver |
Johnathan Hankins | New York Giants | Defensive Tackle |
Jeff Heuerman | Denver Broncos | Tight End |
Cameron Heyward | Pittsburgh Steelers | Defensive End |
Carlos Hyde | San Francisco 49ers | Running Back |
Malcolm Jenkins | Philadelphia Eagles | Free Safety |
Cardale Jones | Buffalo Bills | Quarterback |
James Laurinaitis | New Orleans Saints | Linebacker |
Darron Lee | New York Jets | Linebacker |
Nick Mangold | New York Jets | Center |
Jalin Marshall | New York Jets | Wide Receiver |
Jake McQuaide | Los Angeles Rams | Center |
Jack Mewhort | Indianapolis Colts | Offensive Guard |
Braxton Miller | Houston Texans | Wide Receiver |
Andrew Norwell | Carolina Panthers | Offensive Guard |
Mike Nugent | Cincinnati Bengals | Place kicker |
Joshua Perry | San Diego Chargers | Linebacker |
Tyvis Powell | Seattle Seahawks | Safety |
Terrelle Pryor | Cleveland Browns | Wide Receiver |
Bradley Roby | Denver Broncos | Cornerback |
Ryan Shazier | Pittsburgh Steelers | Linebacker |
John Simon | Houston Texans | Linebacker |
Evan Spencer | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Wide Receiver |
Michael Thomas | New Orleans Saints | Wide Receiver |
Nick Vannett | Seattle Seahawks | Tight End |
Adolphus Washington | Buffalo Bills | Defensive Tackle |
With 37 Buckeyes in the NFL, there will be a lot of "THE Ohio State University" introductions on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays.