Ex-Notre Dame players learn their NFL fates
Saturday’s final round of NFL cuts brought bad news for a number of former Notre Dame football players, although a handful have reportedly already found their way onto practice squads.
Among those cut Saturday were a number of players from the 2013 team, including defensive lineman Kona Schwenke (Kansas City), linebacker Dan Fox (New York Giants), cornerback Bennett Jackson (Giants) and running back George Atkinson III (Oakland).
Also cut Saturday were former Irish offensive lineman Trevor Robinson (Cincinnati), center Eric Olsen (Tennessee), center Braxston Cave (New England) and running back Jonas Gray (New England).
Defensive end Ronald Talley, who began his career at ND but finished at Delaware, was cut by Tampa Bay.
The NFL waiver wire closed at noon Sunday with practice squads soon being formed. Practice squads were expanded from eight to 10 players this season. Reports surfaced later Sunday that Gray had signed with the Patriots, and Fox and Jackson with the Giants. Robinson later was added to Cincinnati's practice squad, while Schwenke was added to KC's and Atkinson to Oakland's.
Earlier in the week former ND quarterback Brady Quinn was cut by Miami and running back Cierre Wood by Baltimore. Former Irish defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore (Baltimore) had been put on injured reserve with an Achilles injury. Safety Zeke Motta (Atlanta) and wide receiver TJ Jones (Detroit) both earlier had been placed on the physically unable to perform list, meaning both could be activated this season.
Offensive lineman Alex Bullard, who too began his career at ND but transferred to Tennessee, had been waived earlier in camp by Detroit.
Two other players who completed their eligibility last year – quarterback Tommy Rees and linebacker Carlo Calabrese – were cut early in camp, Rees by Washington and Calabrese by Cleveland.
The following is a list of former ND players who survived the final round of cuts:
TE Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati
S David Bruton, Denver
DT Louis Nix, Houston
S Sergio Brown, Indianapolis
OT Sam Young, Jacksonville
TE Anthony Fasano, Kansas City
OT Ryan Harris, Kansas City
LB Darius Fleming, New England
DB Darrin Walls, New York Jets
DE Justin Tuck, Oakland
DE Stephon Tuitt, Pittsburgh
ILB Manti Te’o, San Diego
OG Chris Watt, San Diego
TE John Carlson, Arizona
WR Michael Floyd, Arizona
RB Robert Hughes,, Arizona
TE Troy Niklas, Arizona
LB Prince Shembo, Atlanta
LS J.J. Jansen, Carolina
QB Jimmy Clausen, Chicago
OG Zack Martin, Dallas
RB Theo Riddick, Detroit
WR Golden Tate, Detroit
S Robert Blanton, Minnesota
TE Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota
S Harrison Smith, Minnesota
C John Sullivan, Minnesota
NT Ian Williams, San Francisco
OT Will Yeatman*, Houston (injured reserve with concussion)
*Began his career at Notre Dame before transferring to Maryland
