One week ago, college football opened its season in the Thursday night primetime slot. Tonight, it’s the National Football League’s turn. With the beginning of another NFL season, teams’ rosters show a heavy dose of former LSU players floating around the league. Five former Tigers signed with several teams’ practice squads Monday, including wide receiver Skyler Green, linebackers E.J. Kuale and Cameron Vaughn, offensive guard Nate Livings and center Ben Wilkerson. NFL draft analyst Mike Detillier said players usually stay on teams’ practice squads for an entire season. “You see something in that player, and you want to keep him around,” Detillier said. “It’s kind of the NFL’s version of their minor league farm team.” Detillier said practice squad players have advantages over players coming into next season’s training camp because they are “miles ahead” of the newcomers. Two former players, wide receiver Bennie Brazell and running back Domanick Davis, were not as fortunate as others and have been placed on the Cincinnatti Bengals’ and Houston Texans’ injured reserve lists, respectively. According to NFL rules, a player placed on injured reserve cannot play during the season, though there are a few exceptions to the rule. Detillier said both Brazell and Davis will likely be kept by their teams because both players have impressed their coaches. There is also a list of former LSU players who are currently unemployed and looking for another shot in the NFL. Out of the list of about 13 players, Detillier said defensive tackle Chad Lavalais and tight end Eric Edwards have the best shot of catching on with another team because of their experience in the league. The Atlanta Falcons cut Lavalais after he battled weight problems in training camp and could not get into shape. “Out of all of them, [Lavalais] has got the best chance,” Detillier said. This past week was not enjoyable for former LSU quarterbacks as Matt Mauck, Marcus Randall and Rohan Davey were all cut from their teams. Detillier said quarterbacks traditionally have good chances of being picked up during the regular season because of depth problems brought on by injuries throughout the season. Mauck first signed with the Denver Broncos as a seventh round draft pick in 2004. After Denver, Mauck signed with the Tennessee Titans, who cut him this past Saturday. “Matt should have gone to NFL Europe,” Detillier said. “Go get some NFL experience playing in NFL Europe to kind of showcase your skills there.” As for Randall, fans may not recognize him in the NFL today. Randall no longer plays quarterback, but has been moved to linebacker by the Titans after first giving strong safety a shot. Detillier said Mauck has a better chance of being picked up this season than Randall. Davey, a fourth round pick in 2002 by the New England Patriots, was also cut Aug. 29 by the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals were Davey’s second team in five years, and Detillier said his accuracy throwing the football must improve if he wants to play for another team. “In the NFL, accuracy is king,” Detillier said. “I think he’ll probably get another shot somewhere. He was a guy with many of the tools you’re looking for to play in the NFL.” With all the former LSU players drafted in the past years, Detillier said it is hard to overlook the job former coach Nick Saban did recruiting and developing at LSU. “Nobody in my lifetime did it better than [Saban] did,” Detillier said. “You see it happen at Southern Cal, with Mack Brown at Texas and Mark Richt at Georgia.”
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