Alabama in NFL – Syndication Server

Former star Alabama linebacker signs with NFL team

The former Alabama star is now back in the NFL.

Having not played so far this season, former Alabama Crimson Tide standout linebacker and current free agent Rashaan Evans has reportedly signed a deal with the Atlanta Falcons to join the team’s practice squad.

Evans, a six-year NFL veteran, last played during the 2023 season with the Dallas Cowboys where he saw action in nine games with one start. Over that span, Evans had nine tackles.

A former four-year player at Alabama from 2014-17, Evans was originally selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft by the Tennessee Titans where he spent four seasons in the organization through 2021. Evans has also spent time with the Falcons in 2022, as well as the Cowboys as mentioned above, and holds career totals of 485 tackles, 21 TFL, and five sacks across 85 games.

The former Alabama linebacker now returns to the same organization where he had likely the best season of his career in 2022, starting in all 17 games to post a career-high 159 tackles, six TFL, and two sacks.

Former first-round pick LB Rashaan Evans is returning to Atlanta and signing with the Falcons practice squad, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 30, 2024

Houston Texans sign former Alabama TE Irv Smith Jr. to practice squad

On Tuesday, the Houston Texans signed former Alabama tight end Irv Smith Jr. He last played for the Kansas City Chiefs.

After a workout on Tuesday, the Houston Texans decided to sign former Alabama tight end Irv Smith Jr. The Louisiana native suited up for the Cincinnati Bengals last season.

Smith Jr. has been in the NFL since 2019. He was drafted in the second round by the Minnesota Vikings. Smith Jr. spent four seasons with the Vikings. In 37 games, he reeled in 91 receptions for 858 yards and nine touchdowns. Following his fourth season in the Windy City, Smith Jr. signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency.

In one season with the Bengals, Smith Jr. played in 12 games. He hauled in 18 receptions for 115 yards and one touchdown. A couple months after the season ended, Smith Jr. signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. He spent over five months with the Chiefs before he was released.

After a month of being a free agent, Smith Jr. will join the Texans’ practice squad. He will have an opportunity to earn a spot on the active roster over time, but this is the first step for the former second-round draft pick.

https://Twitter.com/AaronWilson_NFL/status/1836189126267179092

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding former Alabama players in the NFL.

Miami Dolphins placing QB Tua Tagovailoa on IR following concussion in Week 2

Tua Tagovailoa to miss at least four games after Dolphins place him on the injured reserve list.

The injury misfortune of Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has unfortunately followed him into the 2024 season after suffering a scary concussion on Thursday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills. It is Tua’s third concussion since being selected No. 5 overall in the 2020 NFL draft, and as a result, many people have suggested he should retire.

The former Alabama signal caller reportedly has no plans on retiring and will return to Miami this season. However, he will definitively be out for the next four games as the Dolphins have placed him on the injured reserve list. With an injury as scary as one to the brain, Miami is going to take its time getting him back onto the field.

In Tua’s absence, the Dolphins are going to roll with Skylar Thompson, but they do need No. 1’s services back on the field as soon as possible. As much as people want to debate Tua, the Dolphins are a much better team when he is on the field.

https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1836132209993904268

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ESPN’s Mel Kiper has an all-time rant about Carolina’s decision to bench Bryce Young

NFL expert goes off on the Carolina Panthers for insane decision to bench QB Bryce Young.

In a stunning move, the Carolina Panthers have decided to bench former No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young in favor of veteran Andy Dalton. What makes it even more confusing is that head coach Dave Canales is just two games into his tenure and has already made such a monumental decision.

Young has struggled mightily to start the season completing just 55.4% of his passes for 245 yards, no touchdowns and three picks. However, the Panthers traded away D.J. Moore, two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a fourth-round pick to the Chicago Bears to move up and select Young just last year. So, it makes no sense why they would give up on the former Alabama Heisman Trophy winner so quickly.

Mel Kiper, an ESPN NFL draft expert, went off on an all-time rant on ESPN’s “Get Up” this morning about the Panther’s decision. He mentioned that Carolina has been one of the poorest run franchises over the past few seasons and still has one of the weakest rosters in the NFL while highlighting a number of ways they have mishandled him. Including playing just one drive in the preseason that came in the final game against practice squad players.

It is still to be determined if the Panthers are going to trade Young, but it’s pretty hard to imagine he is now their quarterback of the future. I still believe Young has a very promising career in this league, he just might need a change of scenery like Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield did.

https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1836073625633313022

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has no plans to retire after latest concussion

NFL experts reporting that QB Tua Tagovailoa has no plans to retire after scary concussion on TNF.

Thursday night was a scary sight for fans all across the NFL as Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a frightening concussion after colliding with Buffalo Bills Damar Hamlin. This one marked Tua’s third professional concussion, which now has people questioning whether the former Alabama Crimson Tide signal caller needs to retire from the sport.

On Sunday morning, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that Tagovailoa has no intentions of retiring. He will meet with concussion specialists and neurological experts before any timelines are given.

We all still have a certain level of fear for Tua’s health, but this is massive news for the Dolphins organization. Granted it was all speculation, but for a couple of days, it appeared as if Miami was going to lose the franchise quarterback they just paid this past off-season.

At some point in the coming days I am sure Tua will have a message for all of his fans, but for now, it’s good to see he will continue doing what he loves.

https://twitter.com/rapsheet/status/1835312223889104932?s=46

NFL Hall of Famer suggests Tua Tagovailoa should retire after suffering scary concussion on TNF

Dolphins’ QB Tua Tagovailoa needs to retire from the NFL according to Chiefs legend Tony Gonzalez.

The horrendous injury luck for former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa unfortunately continued again Thursday night with a very scary concussion. In an attempt to convert a third down in the Buffalo Bills red zone, Tagovailoa lowered his head right into DB Damar Hamlin’s chest before falling on the ground with his head ricocheting off the ground.

It was a terrifying sight as it is his third concussion suffered in the NFL with it being visibly scary with his hands freezing up. The league had just updated their rules as preventative measures because of the ones he suffered in 2022.

Fortunately, Tagovailoa signed a massive extension this past off-season and will be able to care for his family regardless of the future. The Miami Dolphins have gone all in on Tagovailoa between his contract and paying receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle so this has to be a horrifying thought for them as well.

Tagovailoa has shared he briefly considered retiring after the 2022 season, but decided with his family he wanted to keep playing. However, after suffering another one in similar fashion many people think it may be time for No. 1 to retire. NFL Hall of Famer and former Kansas City Chiefs Tony Gonzalez is one of those people thinking Tagovailoa needs to permenantly step away saying,

“If I’m him, at this point, I’m seriously considering retiring from football. If that was my son, I would be like, ‘It might be time.’ This stuff is not what you want to play around with… Tua’s future? I’m thinking retirement here.”

With the injury occurring just last night, it will take some time before we hear any further details. But in the mean time, I speak for all of Alabama nation when I say we are parying for a healthy and speedy recovery.

Former Alabama RB Derrick Henry scores first TD of 2024 NFL season

Derrick Henry’s Week 1 TD extends Alabama’s streak to 85 straight weeks.

For the first time in his professional career, former Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry took the field for a team other than the Tennessee Titans. The Baltimore Ravens and King Henry agreed to a two-year $16 million deal to form arguably the scariest backfield in the NFL alongside reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson.

It took less than seven minutes for Henry to find the endzone in his first game in the black and purple as he struck from five yards. It was also the first touchdown of the 2024 season. Henry finished his debut with 13 carries for 46 yards and the touchdown.

Henry’s touchdowns also mark 85 straight regular-season weeks that a former member of the Crimson Tide had scored a touchdown.

The Ravens and Henry will be back in action next Sunday as they host the Las Vegas Raiders. As the season carries on and he becomes more familiar with the offense, Henry’s role in the offense is only going to increase.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1831858944865710241

https://twitter.com/bamaproupdates/status/1831859187531592060?s=42

Former Alabama CB Patrick Surtain II becomes highest-paid DB ever

Denver Broncos make Patrick Surtain II the highest-paid DB ever in new four-year deal.

It has been the off-season of the Alabama Crimson Tide with former players amassing over a billion dollars in NFL contracts. The Miami Dolphins led the charge by signing WR Jaylen Waddle to a three-year $84.75 million deal and QB Tua Tagovailoa to a four-year deal worth $212.4 million.

The Denver Broncos and CB Patrick Surtain II have agreed on a new four-year contract worth $96 million ($77.5m guaranteed). The deal makes him the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL, and it makes sense for the NFL’s No. 1 CB.

Surtain has never missed a game in the NFL and has started all 50 games the Broncos have played over the past three years. He was named a First-team All-Pro in 2022 and has posted 187 total tackles, seven interceptions and batted down 36 passes.

There was no chance that Denver would ever let their former No. 9 overall draft pick test the free agent market, but it’s awesome to see him get paid right before the start of the season. Plus, Surtain didn’t even hold out or make a big deal about it, he just showed up and worked.

Former Alabama defensive tackle claimed by Philadelphia Eagles

The former Alabama defensive tackle lands with a new team.

After being cut by the Las Vegas Raiders on Wednesday, it did not take long for former Alabama Crimson Tide defensive tackle Byron Young to land with a new team, as he has reportedly been claimed by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Young was one of the more surprising NFL roster cuts Wednesday across the league, as the former Alabama defensive tackle played only one season with the Raiders, the same team that drafted him back in 2023.

Selected with the No. 70 overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft, Young appeared in only six games with Las Vegas a year ago in which he had four tackles.

At Alabama, Young was a four-year player from 2019-22 for the Crimson Tide, amassing a combined 139 tackles, 22.5 TFL, and eights sacks over that span.

The #Eagles claimed DT Byron Young off waivers, per source.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 29, 2024

Young now joins an Eagles team that features numerous former Alabama players such as Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, and more.

Las Vegas Raiders cut former Alabama DT Byron Young

Former Alabama third-round pick cut after just one year.

Wednesday was one of the toughest days on the NFL calendar as all rosters had to be trimmed down to 53 players. Hundreds of players across the league will now be looking for jobs after being released, including several former members of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Byron Young DT for the Las Vegas Raiders was among the most surprising players to be cut. Young was a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, No. 70 overall, after an outstanding 2022 campaign where he was named to the All-SEC Second-team. He appeared in six games for the Raiders as a rookie, so it is surprising to see Las Vegas give up on such a high draft pick so early.

It is expected that Young will have a couple of suitors on the open market including the Chicago Bears.

A surprise: The #Raiders are cutting DT Byron Young, their third-round pick from last year, source said. The Bama product was on the initial 53-man roster. Now, out.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 28, 2024