Saints waive fan-favorite DB Smoke Monday, could return to the practice squad

The New Orleans Saints have waived fan-favorite DB Smoke Monday, an undrafted free agent for the team last offseason | @ClutchWDN

The New Orleans Saints have made a somewhat surprising roster move, waiving DB Smoke Monday, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. Monday was a UDFA signing for the Saints last offseason, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL.

Monday played the sixth-most defensive snaps this preseason on the Saints, so he did receive ample opportunity to have a chance at the roster. However, in this span of time, he only had one pressure, five tackles (on six attempts), and allowed two out of four targets he faced to be received.

With his versatility across the secondary, he could be a candidate to return to New Orleans via the practice squad, however. With 20 of his snaps coming from the box, 53 at free safety, five in the slot, and one at outside corner, he clearly is able to move around the field.

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Seahawks scouting department deserves credit for noticing Jake Bobo

Seahawks fans are likely to see Bobo operating with the starters early in the regular season.

Amongst rookies gaining traction for the Seahawks this preseason, wide receiver Jake Bobo has performed exceptionally well. His 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame makes him a force to be reckoned with in the intermediate passing game. Bobo tallied three receptions for 55 yards and one touchdown against the Vikings and two receptions for 43 yards against the Cowboys while making an impact as a blocker and on special teams.

Bobo, an undrafted free agent out of UCLA, led the Bruins with 57 catches in 2022. Yet, out of all 32 NFL clubs, he managed to fall right into the hands of the Seahawks, who were already loaded at receiver.

Perhaps when director of college scouting Aaron Hineline and senior director of pro personnel Matt Berry consulted, they took note of Bobo’s attributes. Could they have stumbled upon Bobo’s highlights while scouting prospect running back Zach Charbonnet who also played at UCLA? It’s a fair hypothesis.

Nevertheless, Berry, Hineline and a handful of other Seahawks personnel department administrators received promotions this offseason. With a locker room full of dynamic weapons, Bobo only adds another facet to a well balanced offensive attack.

With wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba soon undergoing wrist surgery and Dee Eskridge serving a six-game suspension, Seahawks fans are likely to see Bobo operating with the starters early in the regular season.

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Saints rookie report card from preseason win vs. Chiefs

Here’s our Saints rookie report card from their preseason win against the Chiefs, highlighting every draft pick and standout UDFA’s | @DillySanders

The New Orleans Saints left the Superdome for the first time this season as champions, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 26-24 during the first week of the NFL preseason. While it was nice to see a lot of the returning players, like Chris Olave and Michael Thomas, it was also the first chance to see some of the rookies that we have spent months speculating about.

There were some great debuts, like Blake Grupe and Anfernee Orji, along with some debuts that did not go as well. While you can’t make a decision on how a player’s career will turn out based off of one preseason game, it’s also the only tangible in game play we have to go off of so far. Here’s the rookie report card for some notable debuts in the first game:

Chiefs UDFA Spotlight: Harvard EDGE Truman Jones

Our #Chiefs UDFA Spotlight series continues with an Ivy League edge rusher looking to make his mark in Kansas City.

A three-year starter and team captain at Westminster School in Atlanta, Georgia, Jones had offers from all of the top Ivy League schools and interest from a half dozen others. He enrolled at Harvard in 2018, appearing in just three games as a true freshman.

Jones burst onto the scene as a productive contributor in 2019, recording the second-most sacks (6.5) in the Ivy League that season. He worked his way up to become the 148th team captain in Harvard football history during his senior campaign, which saw him earn a unanimous First-Team All-Ivy League selection.

Chiefs UDFA Spotlight: Western Kentucky CB Kahlef Hailassie

Our UDFA Spotlight Series continues with a look at a cornerback who took a top-30 visit with the #Chiefs:

A three-star recruit out of Cosumnes Oaks High School in Elk Grove, California, Hailassie played receiver and had over a dozen offers, most in the Mountain West and PAC-12. He committed to Oregon and played two seasons with the Ducks, playing a little cornerback, but mostly on special teams.

Hailassie attempted to transfer to Weber State in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on those plans. Hailassie ended up at Independence Community College in Independence, Kansas. He didn’t end up playing football that season, but kept up his academics and was able to transfer to Western Kentucky in 2021.

Alabama center Charles Bediako signs one-year deal with San Antonio Spurs

Alabama center Charles Bediako went undrafted on Thursday night of the 2023 NBA Draft. He signed a one-year deal with the San Antonio Spurs as an undrafted free agent.

Alabama center Charles Bediako was signed to a one-year deal by the San Antonio Spurs. Bediako went undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft.

The native of Brampton, Ontario spent two seasons in Tuscaloosa. As a freshman, Bediako averaged 6.7 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game, and 1.5 blocks per game. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.

During his sophomore season, Bediako showed strides of improvement. Bediako was more effective on the defensive end as both a rebounder and shot blocker. He averaged 6.4 points per game, 6.0 rebounds per game, and 1.7 blocks per game. Bediako was listed on the SEC All-Defensive Team.

The best game of Bediako’s career came in 2022 when he scored 14 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in a triple-overtime win against North Carolina.

In a surprising series of unexpected events, Bediako entered his name into the NBA draft and ultimately chose to remain in the draft. He could have chosen to return for his junior season with the Crimson Tide. Alabama head coach Nate Oats and the rest of the coaching staff were surprised to see Bediako forgo his college eligibility.

Bediako will likely compete on the Spurs Summer League Team. It will be interesting to see how the franchise chooses to use Bediako after having drafted Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick. The Spurs will have plenty of size heading into the 2023 season. Bediako is a 7-feet tall and Wembanyama is 7-foot-5.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama basketball program.

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Chiefs UDFA Spotlight: Tennessee OG Jerome Carvin

Our #Chiefs UDFA Spotlight Series continues with a powerful guard who played in the SEC.

A four-star recruit at offensive tackle out of Cordova High School in Cordova, Tennessee, Carvin had offers from over a dozen different schools. He committed to Tennessee in December of 2017 and never looked back.

Carvin appeared in 12 games with five starts as a Freshman with the Volunteers. While he was a tackle coming into the program, he switched to play the interior offensive line in Knoxville.

Chiefs UDFA WR Nikko Remigio details experience in Kansas City so far

#Chiefs UDFA WR Nikko Remigio recently spoke about joining the reigning Super Bowl champs and the work he’s put in so far with his new team.

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Kansas City Chiefs rookie wideout Nikko Remigio is adjusting well to life in the NFL. The former Fresno State Bulldog joins a talented wide receiver corps looking to build on a championship season.

Speaking with KFSN-TV’s Stephen Hicks, Remigio spoke about his experience joining the reigning Super Bowl champions as an undrafted free agent.

“You know, obviously, just playing in a really phenomenal, talented organization,” Remigio said. “Their past season speaks to the quality of the guys in the room, the quality of coaches on the staff and everybody just within the organization. It has been a great learning process for me and I’m just soaking it all in, each and every day.”

What exactly was it like for Remigio to join an NFL team with such notoriety and star power? After the initial shock of making it to the league went away, he’s been all business with his new teammates.

“I think the first day at rookie minicamp, stepping on the field in general and wearing the Chiefs jersey and being on the Chiefs’ practice field was a surreal moment for me,” Remigio said. “Seeing those guys in the locker room, it’s like, ‘Oh shoot, that’s Patrick Mahomes.’ My locker is two lockers down from Travis Kelce’s, so that was definitely a surreal moment, first getting into the building and being around those guys. At the end of the day, they’re here for a job, just like myself and it’s good to be able to work with and learn and be with those guys.”

Remigio shares an agent with Patrick Mahomes, so before he was even in Kansas City, he had correspondence with the reigning league MVP. Mahomes coached Remigio up on what to expect with the Chiefs and the type of preparation that he’d need to make it in the league.

“Those guys have been extremely helpful with learning the playbook, understanding defenses and just subtle, little details as far as being able to elevate my game and see the game from a different perspective,” Remigio said. “The playbook is definitely no joke. It lives up to all the hype and there’s a lot to learn. There (are) a lot more little nuanced details that you have to learn. Coming in, for somebody like myself, just trying to add versatility to my game and not be confined to one position.”

The rookie says he’s loving the challenge of trying to learn all of the different positions and nuances within Andy Reid’s offense. He’s seeing constant growth as a football player, especially as he tries to lock down a role for 2023.

“My role is getting in anywhere where I can,” Remigio said. “The receiver role isn’t confined to just the slot. It kind of makes learning the playbook a little more challenging because I’m not learning just one position, but I’m learning every position. If my number gets called, my name gets called, I’m ready, I’m prepared. I’m obviously learning every receiver position and then, as you said, special teams is a huge component of the game, especially for a guy like myself. Coming into the league as an undrafted guy, I’m going to have to make a name for myself on special teams.”

It remains to be seen if Remigio can make a push for the 53-man roster, but he clearly has the mindset necessary to do so. For his case, it all starts with soaking up everything he can about the playbook and creating value on both offense and special teams.

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Report: Patriots re-signing undrafted rookie DT Justus Tavai

Justus Tavai is returning to the Patriots, per multiple reports.

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The New England Patriots added to their roster before their first official mandatory minicamp practice by re-signing undrafted rookie defensive tackle Justus Tavai.

MassLive.com’s Chris Mason reported the news on Monday.

Tavai signed with the Patriots back in May before being released by the team in June. He played 11 games at San Diego State in his final collegiate season, when he totaled 38 tackles, five tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks and one interception.

His brother, Jahlani Tavai, is a current linebacker and contributor for the Patriots. So there are some family ties within the organization for the Aztecs’ former standout defensive player.

The timing is perfect for Justus Tavai, who will now have a chance to prove himself on the practice field. A strong showing would give the Patriots reason to keep him around as more than just a camp body.

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Patriots release rookie UDFA defensive lineman Justus Tavai

Patriots announce the release of rookie free agent Justus Tavai.

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Rookie undrafted free agent Justus Tavai’s stay didn’t last long with the New England Patriots.

The team announced they had released the former San Diego State standout defensive player on Friday. Tavai made a splash in his final season with the Aztecs by compiling 34 tackles, five tackles for a loss, one interception and 3.5 sacks.

His brother, Jahlani Tavai, is a current linebacker for the Patriots. So there were some family ties there for Justus if he managed to make the team.

There’s always a chance the team could call back in the future with a practice squad opportunity, but for right now, Justus will have to turn the page and look for his next NFL opportunity elsewhere.

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