Lions latest wave of roster cuts includes several offensive linemen

Lions latest wave of roster cuts includes several offensive linemen and some expected moves

The quest to get from 90 to just 53 players is progressing quickly for GM Brad Holmes and the Detroit Lions. On Sunday, the Lions announced several cuts.

Some of them were already known, like C Alex Mollette and DL Christian Covington. Mollette was joined on the roster cutdown line by a few fellow offensive linemen.

The Lions released vets Bobby Hart and Germain Ifedi, and also waived tackle Obinna Eze and guard Darrin Paulo, as well as confirming the Mollette move. Ifedi’s release is something of a surprise, as the experienced journeyman had looked better than Matt Nelson during the preseason. These moves appear to ensure that Nelson makes the 53-man roster as the top reserve tackle.

The Lions also released RB Devine Ozigbo and WR Jason Moore. Players who are vested veterans are released and not subject to waivers.

Other players waived, and thus subject to waiver claims on Wednesday:

WR Trinity Benson

WR Avery Davis

TE Daniel Helm

S Scott Nelson

CB Colby Richardson

None of those waivers are unexpected. Benson was the best-known of the group, but he was outplayed by undrafted rookies Chase Cota and Dylan Drummond in the battle for the final roster spot(s).

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Former Wisconsin safety signs with the Detroit Lions

Former Badger transaction news:

Former Wisconsin safety Scott Nelson signed with the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

The move comes with NFL Preseason Week 3 set to kick off before a lengthy layoff separates teams from their Week 1 action. Roster cutdowns happen in that time, so Nelson may have an uphill battle to make a regular-season roster for the first time in his young NFL career.

Nelson was originally an undrafted free agent signing by the Seattle Seahawks last year. He was released from the team’s practice squad early in the season and quicly signed to the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad where he spent much of the year.

The former Badger was a multi-year starter in Madison. His career concluded with 28 games played, 125 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, four interceptions and one forced fumble.

In a weird Big Ten West-centric situation, Nelson was signed after the Lions waived former Minnesota star running back Mohamed Ibrahim.

Lions sign S Scott Nelson, waive injured RB Mohamed Ibrahim

Lions sign safety Scott Nelson and waive injured RB Mohamed Ibrahim

Days after preseason contests are always busy with transactions, and Sunday is no exception. A day after losing the second exhibition game to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Detroit Lions signed safety Scott Nelson to the active roster.

Nelson is in his second NFL season, spending 2022 primarily on the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad, He originally signed as an undrafted free agent with the Seattle Seahawks. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Nelson played collegiately at Wisconsin. He’s a Detroit native and a graduate of Jesuit High School.

To make room for Nelson, the Lions waived running back Mohamed Ibrahim with an injury designation. Ibrahim, an undrafted rookie from Minnesota, has been sidelined with an injury and lost the early momentum to make the roster he established in minicamp.

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Seahawks 2022 roster cuts: Undrafted rookie S Scott Nelson on the list

The Seahawks are waiving undrafted rookie safety Scott Nelson, according to a report by Doug Kyed at Pro Football Focus.

The Seahawks are waiving undrafted rookie safety Scott Nelson, according to a report by Doug Kyed at Pro Football Focus.

Nelson performed well during the preseason, earning one of the highest defensive grades on the team. Seattle has set a very high bar to make the cut at this position, though. With starters Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs going exactly nowhere, the four undrafted safeties they brought in faced an uphill battle to beat out more experienced backups.

There’s now about two and a half hours to go before the NFL’s deadline to get rosters down to 53 players.

Nelson is the sixth cut that we know about, leaving 21 more to go.

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Wisconsin safety Scott Nelson signs with Seattle Seahawks as undrafted free agent

The Badger safety is headed to the Seahawks

Wisconsin safety Scott Nelson officially has an NFL home despite going undrafted in the 2022 NFL draft. The former Badger is headed to Seattle and will join the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent.

Nelson spent four seasons at Wisconsin, and despite dealing with a torn ACL in the 2019 season opener against South Florida, managed to put together a solid Badger career. In 2021, he set career-highs as a senior with 58 total tackles, 6 passes defended (tied with 2018), and 40 solo tackles.

Nelson turned heads at Wisconsin’s pro day, as he recorded a 39.5 inch vertical jump and ran a 4.38 40-yard dash. The Michigan native is officially headed to Seattle:

Report: Dolphins had virtual meeting with Big Ten safety

Miami may be looking for depth in their secondary.

The 2022 NFL draft begins Thursday night, and all 32 teams hope to make selections that will change the trajectory of their franchise toward winning a Super Bowl.

At this point, we’re still finding out about meetings that draft hopefuls are having with teams, despite the event being so close. On Wednesday, we learned that the Dolphins met with Wisconsin safety Scott Nelson on Zoom, according to Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson.

Nelson is seen as a late-round or undrafted free agent prospect heading into the draft by most. He played in 28 games over four years with the Badgers, recording 125 total tackles, 19 passes defended, four interceptions, one forced fumble and one sack.

At Wisconsin’s Pro Day, the safety measured in at 6-foot-2, 203 pounds. He ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash and recorded a 39.5-inch vertical jump.

The Dolphins currently have a fair amount of safeties on their roster, including Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones, Eric Rowe, Clayton Fejedelem, Sheldrick Redwine and a number of safety/corner hybrids. However, behind the top three, the actual defensive depth isn’t great with many of their defensive backs playing mostly on special teams. If Nelson were brought in, he may be able to help in that sense.

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Wisconsin football’s tackle leaders from 2021

The Wisconsin Badgers’ leading tacklers from the 2021 season:

In 2021, the Wisconsin Badgers’ defense was one of the best in the country and was able to shut down its opponents with physical and suffocating defense.

Related: PFF ranks the highest-graded Wisconsin pass rushers since 2016

A huge part of this fantastic defense was the Badgers’ ability to wrap up, especially behind the line of scrimmage. This article is going to look at some of the Badgers’ leading tacklers from last season, who helped to make this defense so dominant.

There are several notable players included in the Badgers’ most prolific tacklers from last season like linebackers Leo Chenal and Jack Sanborn, as well as safety Scott Nelson.

Below are the Wisconsin Badgers’ leading tacklers from 2021:

Lions hold ‘local day’ workout for wide range of NFL draft prospects

The local day is a workout and different from the pre-draft visits

The Detroit Lions hosted a diverse group of locally-based 2022 NFL draft prospects at the team facility in Allen Park on Monday for the annual “local day” workout. The range of players ran the gamut from potential No. 1 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson to a Dutch TE (via Eastern Michigan) Thomas Odukoya, who projects as an undrafted free agent.

The local day is different from the regular pre-draft visit. This is more of an actual football tryout for the players, a chance to show what they can do on the field. On-field activities are strictly forbidden on pre-draft visits, which are also (mistakenly) known as “top 30 visits”. This workout is limited to college players who fall within the Lions’ league-defined local area, either by college or from high schools in the area.

Among those who were slated to be in attendance for the closed event:

  • Cincinnati CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner
  • Michigan RB Hassan Haskins
  • Michigan EDGE Aidan Hutchinson
  • Saginaw Valley State WR Chad Gailliard
  • Princeton LB Jeremiah Tyler
  • Michigan S Dax Hill
  • Eastern Michigan TE Thomas Odukoya
  • Wisconsin S Scott Nelson
  • Michigan DT Christopher Hinton
  • Ferris State OL Zein Obeid
  • Western Illinois QB Connor Sampson
  • Michigan OL Andrew Steuber
  • Michigan S Brad Hawkins
  • Western Michigan LB/S A.J. Thomas

 

Wisconsin football’s all-time leaders in interceptions

A look at Wisconsin football’s all-time interception leaders:

Since the reign of head coach Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin football has been known for playing dominant defense. The Badgers have been fortunate enough to have numerous outstanding players on all three levels of their defense over the years.

Related: Wisconsin CB Faion Hicks named to Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

In addition to legendary Wisconsin defensive backs like Jamar Fletcher or Jim Leonhard, the all-time leaders in career interceptions in Wisconsin program history highlights other Badgers’ legends like linebacker T.J. Edwards as well.

It is great to see these Wisconsin defensive legends represented in the top Badgers in career interceptions, especially since many went onto successful professional careers.

Below are the all-time leaders in career interceptions in Wisconsin football program history:

PHOTOS: Wisconsin football gets ready for the 2021 season

Some of the best photos of the latest Wisconsin football team as they gear up for the upcoming season

With the start of the season less than two months away, Wisconsin football is gearing up for the start of fall camp with many new and familiar faces.

Related: Wisconsin TE Hayden Rucci partners with Cameo

Before the start of every season, players often get to check out the new uniforms and model them to make promotional videos and graphics for the season. Many Badgers including senior wide receiver Danny Davis and sophomore tight end Hayden Rucci posted some of their favorite photos to their social media.

Here are some of the best photos of the latest Wisconsin Badgers team as they gear up for the upcoming season: