NFL roster cuts: Cincinnati Bengals practice squad projection following cutdown day

The Cincinnati Bengals made 30 roster moves on Saturday to create an initial 53-man roster.

We say initial because changes are expected to come to the 53-man roster, including quarterback Jeff Driskel being sent to Injured Reserve on Monday. It’s possible, though unlikely, that tight end C.J. Uzomah is also sent to IR at that time.

With 23 players waived on Saturday from the Bengals’ roster, all but one will be eligible to be signed to an NFL practice squad if they clear waivers. The one player the Bengals waived on Saturday who is not eligible to be signed to an NFL practice squad is defensive end Will Clarke.

Everything you need to know about practice squad eligibility and how the practice squad is constructed can be found here. But to sum it up, the Bengals will create a 10-man practice squad on Sunday (though it could be less than 10 players).

Up to four players on the practice squad can have two years of NFL experience. The rest of the players on the squad must have no more than six games of NFL experience, or fewer than nine games spent on a 46-man active gameday roster.

To make the practice squad, a player must pass through waivers. Any Bengals player waived on Saturday could be claimed by another team on the waiver wire. Players who clear through waivers (more on the waiver wire here!) are also allowed to sign with any practice squad of their choosing (that also wants them), they don’t need to stay committed to the Bengals.

Here’s a look at the Bengals waived on Saturday who are eligible for the practice squad:

• LB Bryson Albright (first-year player, Miami [Ohio])
• LB Brandon Bell (rookie, Penn State)
• WR Chris Brown (second-year player, Notre Dame)
• DE Ryan Brown (first-year player, Mississippi State)
• S Demetrious Cox (rookie, Michigan State)
• LB P.J. Dawson (second-year player, Texas Christian)
• DT David Dean (first-year player, Virginia)
• G J.J. Dielman (rookie, Utah)
• K Jake Elliott (rookie, Memphis)
• DE Marcus Hardison (third-year player, Arizona State)
• FB Darrin Laufasa (rookie, Texas-El Paso)
• OT Landon Lechler (rookie, North Dakota State)
• G Cameron Lee (rookie, Illinois State)
• CB Tony McRae (first-year player, North Carolina A&T)
• OT Kent Perkins (rookie, Texas)
• WR Alonzo Russell (first-year player, Toledo)
• G Dustin Stanton (rookie, Oregon State)
• DT Josh Tupou (rookie, Colorado)
• WR Kermit Whitfield (rookie, Florida State)
• DT DeShawn Williams (second-year player, Clemson)
• HB Jarveon Williams (rookie, Texas-San Antonio)
• S Brandon Wilson (rookie, Houston)

Note: the difference between a rookie and first year player is that first year players have been in the NFL for at least one year but don’t have a year of NFL experience. A year of NFL experience is deemed as being on the roster for six or more games.

Here’s our 10-man Bengals practice squad projection:

1. S Brandon Wilson (rookie sixth round draft pick)
2. S Demetrious Cox (undrafted rookie)
3. LB Brandon Bell (undrafted rookie)
4. DE Marcus Hardison (fourth round draft pick in 2015)
5. DT Josh Tupou (undrafted rookie)
6. CB Tony McRae (undrafted in 2016)
7. G J.J. Dielman (rookie fifth round draft pick)
8. HB Jarveon Williams (undrafted rookie)
9. WR Kermit Whitfield (undrafted rookie)
10. K Jake Elliott (rookie fifth round draft pick)