In baseball, minor league players eagerly anticipate September because MLB rosters expand and some of the minor leaguers receive call-ups to the major leagues. In football, there is no such thing as a roster expansion, which means there are no late season calls for minor leaguers. Will the New England Patriots repeat as NFL champions? Check out NFL betting for the next football season.
In the NFL, roster cuts that occur in the preseason signals the end of the road for players that tried out for teams, unless they are signed to the team’s practice squad. The makeshift lockers that they occupied since training camp are also removed.
Last season, Woodrow Hamilton, a former Ole Miss player, signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent. Hamilton played in all four preseason games, recording six tackles, but was cut when the Patriots had to trim their roster.
Veteran defensive linemen Frank Kearse, Markus Kuhn, Joe Vellano, and Terrance Knighton were also cut from the team. However, didn’t leave the team for long because he passed through the waivers and was signed to New England’s practice squad.
As a member of the practice squad, the chances of Hamilton making the team were still very small. Despite his slim chances, fortune smiled on Hamilton as he was signed to the Patriots roster in October after the team released Jonathan Cooper.
24 hours after being signed, the 23-year-old Hamilton made his first career start in a 33-13 win over the Cleveland Browns. Hamilton, who was filling in for injured defensive tackle Vincent Valentine, made the most of his opportunity and recorded two tackles against the Browns.
Hamilton played a total of 22 snaps in his first game, and didn’t look out of place playing next to Alan Branch and Malcom Brown. He did very well against the run, frustrating Browns running back Isaiah Crowell.
Hamilton’s performance left an impression on head coach Bill Belichick, who told reporters after the game that Hamilton was a mean, strong, and physical player.
A week after the Cleveland game, Hamilton got his second career start against the Cincinnati Bengals. In that game, Hamilton recorded one tackle before leaving the game with a shoulder injury.
Hamilton didn’t get another chance to start for the Patriots and was waived to create roster space for Jacoby Brissett, who was returning from the injured reserve list.
While Hamilton played well against the run, his pass rush was lacking, and likely contributed to the team releasing him.
Despite his limited playing time, Hamilton said playing in the NFL was a dream come true and something he never thought he would achieve. He will likely get another chance to play in an NFL game because the Patriots kept him on their 10 man scout team for the rest of the season.
If he shows improvement during the preseason, he might have a chance to make the final roster when it’s all said and done, but he will have to make a big impression on Bill Belichick because he will have a lot of competition from other undrafted players that are trying to make the final roster.
