2022 Bama in the NFL Tracker: Preseason Week 2 Final Stats

A pair of former Alabama players released, Anthony Averett is Looking to springboard into more, and Brian Robinson Jr. in the mix with Commanders.

SI Editorial | Aug 17, 2022

In this story:

Alabama Crimson Tide

NFL Preseason Week 2

The National Football League had its first mandatory cutdown day on Tuesday, with team required to get down to 85 players.

It only affected two former Alabama players.

Offensive lineman Chris Owens was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Safety Jared Mayden was let go by the Philadelphia Eagles. Because he was dealing with an ankle injury, Mayden was put on the team's injured reserve list where he'll likely get a small injury settlement.

With those moves, there are 71 active former Crimson Tide players on NFL rosters, not including two who are out for the season: linebacker Christopher Allen was placed on the injured reserve by the Broncos, and Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley is suspended.

Teams have to get down to 80 players next week, and to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on August 30.

The following day, teams can establish a practice squad of 16 players.

At the beginning of training camps, the FanNation teams sites projected that 61 former Crimson Tide players would make final NFL rosters.

Make or Break Season?

A former Crimson Tide player who hasn't gotten the attention he deserves is cornerback Anthony Averett.

Selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, he spent his first four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. Overall, in 44 games with 42 starts, he tallied 97 tackles (83 solo), three interceptions and 22 passes defensed.

Last season, the 5-foot-11, 178-pound cornerback started all 14 games he appeared in, and when Marcus Peters went down he became the defensive back opponents went after.

“Very big," he said about the opportunity. "I mean, it wasn’t really a big surprise either. I felt like I was part of every team’s game plan. They went away from Marlon [Humphrey], so I was the guy they targeted. And I feel like towards the end of the season it kind of slowed down a little bit. I started getting a little more respect.”

Averett set single-season career highs in tackles (53), interceptions (three) and passes defensed (11) in 2021.

During the offseason, Averett signed a one-year deal with the Raiders for $4 million ($3.34 guaranteed), with a $1.39 million signing bonus.

The question is, can he turn that into something much bigger?

How to Watch NFL Preseason Week 2

Thursday's Game

Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks, 7 p.m. CT (ESPN)

Friday's Games

Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots, 6 p.m. (NFL Network)
New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers, 7 p.m.
Houston Texans at Los Angeles Rams, 9 p.m. (NFL Network)

Saturday's Games

Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills, noon (NFL Network)
Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts, noon
Washington Commanders at Kansas City Chiefs, 3 p.m. (NFL Network)
Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars, 6 p.m.
Las Vegas Raiders at Miami Dolphins, 6 p.m.
San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings, 6 p.m.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tennessee Titans, 6 p.m. (NFL Network)
Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Chargers, 9 p.m. (NFL Network)

Sunday's Games

Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns, noon (NFL Network)
Cincinnati Bengals at New York Giants, 6 p.m. (NFL Network)
Baltimore Ravens at Arizona Cardinals: 7 p.m. (FOX)

Monday's Game

Atlanta Falcons at New York Jets, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Half of 100

In case you missed it, the NFL Top 100 announced the bottom 50 players, which included three former Alabama players. Per the NFL:

No. 63 Jaylen Waddle, wide receiver: Waddle wasted no time getting acclimated to the NFL, checking off both his first 1,000-yard receiving season and his first 100-catch season on the way to setting the rookie record for receptions (104). Along with fellow rookie Ja'Marr Chase -- and Justin Jefferson the year before them -- Waddle obliterated normal expectations for the WR learning curve. Waddle feasted on underneath routes in 2021 even without a proper field stretcher to complement him. Imagine the possibilities lined up opposite Tyreek Hill.

.@miamidolphins WR jaylen waddle was #63 on the NFL network's top 100. here's part 1 pic.twitter.com/JoIuR1vLNC
— josh houtz (@houtz) August 15, 2022

No. 85 Mac Jones, quarterback: Jones passed for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns as a rookie, leading the Patriots to the playoffs and earning a selection to the Pro Bowl. The 15th overall pick in the ’21 draft, the 23-year-old led the Patriots to a perfect 4-0 record in November, completing 76-of-99 passes for 854 yards and seven touchdown passes over that span.

No. 88 Jonathan Allen, defensive lineman: The only Washington player in the Top 100, Allen has been a key part of the Commanders defense since 2017, when he was selected with the 17th overall pick. The 27-year-old Alabama product registered nine sacks last season, earning his first Pro Bowl selection. Physical at the point of attack, Allen was the most consistent defensive lineman on Washington’s roster. In 69 career games, Allen has recorded 264 tackles and 26 sacks.

Tide-Bits

• Keep an eye on how many reps running back Brian Robinson Jr. gets when the Commanders face the Chiefs this week. Although Antonio Gibson is coming off back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 total scrimmage yards, the team sent a message after he fumbled a carry on first down last week, which was recovered by Carolina and led to a touchdown. Robinson ended up lead the team with 26 carries and one touchdown on six carries, and offensive coordinator noted that while the rookie hadn't been perfect he had still been successful because he runs so hard. When the team returned to practice, Gibson worked with first-, second- and third-team offense, and also on special teams. "There's always been a competition for the positions on this team," head coach Ron Rivera said. Translation: The job is up for grabs.

• Speaking of the Commanders, defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis on playing behind Allen and Da'Ron Payne: "I'm not a selfish guy, I had to wait my time in Alabama. I was there five years, so I understand what it means to wait. But you can't look at it like that. You got to look at it like, just come to practice, get better every day, and just be ready when your time comes.”

.@PhidarianMathis reppin’ @AlabamaFTBL pic.twitter.com/07I4qmVuDs
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) August 17, 2022

• It's one thing for former Georgia wide receiver George Pickens to have a good showing against reserve players in a preseason game, and another when he does so against Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick on Tuesday. "His body control is something serious," Fitzpatrick said per All Steelers. "You seen it Saturday in the game, in the back of the end zone. It looked easy to him. Everything looks easy and natural to him. It's not a bunch of rigid sharp movements, it's just natural. He had one today, I was all over his hip. A good ball. I hit him, hit the ball, his elbow. It still looked easy, natural catching it."

• With the Raiders coaches harping on accountability, running back Kenyan Drake took it to another level during a recent practice. After a fumble during a 9-on-7 drill he did a lap around the field and 50 pushup, plus another 10 pushups for a drop. “I’m going into my seventh year, man. It’s actually surreal kind of thinking about it, being one of the old heads," he said. "I’m big about energy. I’m big about making sure that everybody around me feels comfortable with me going out there and doing my job, and vice versa. We out here playing a game, man. I’ve been playing this game since I was six years old. I’m happy to be here. I love playing for this team, I love playing for this city and I love playing for the guys around me.”

• Derrick Henry looking imposing without really doing anything: