Once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye. Across the Shield follows those who once wore Scarlet and Gray on their journeys through the NFL.
The regular season is just a few days away, and with that, it was time for some Buckeyes to make an impression in their last preseason game before rosters were trimmed over the weekend. Let's take a look at how some did.
Doran Grant's Pick Six
One player who was on the roster bubble heading into the weekend was cornerback Doran Grant of the Chicago Bears. He attempted to solidify a spot with a solid performance, including this pick-six.
Doran Grant with the house call. pic.twitter.com/7oPAxohhF6
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) August 31, 2018
Alas, it was not enough, as Grant was released by the Bears as a part of roster cuts. It would not be a surprise, however, to see him picked up on a roster or practice squad, if not now, then sometime throughout the season as players go down with injuries.
Jerome Baker Earns Starting Spot
In happier news, former Ohio State linebacker Jerome Baker will be starting for the Miami Dolphins on opening day.
Gase says Jerome Baker is the Dolphins' SOLB.
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) August 27, 2018
Baker was a third-round pick by the Dolphins in the 2018 NFL Draft. As everyone knew, Baker is a stud athlete, and some have postulated that his game could translate very well to the NFL, even though he had a bit of a rough year in his last season in scarlet.
For now, the Dolphins' gamble seems to have paid off. Here is a video of Baker discussing his situation.
Miami Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker talks about the challenge is coming in and learning the whole playbook pic.twitter.com/nXL1qKPg36
— Miami Herald Sports (@HeraldSports) August 28, 2018
Roster Moves Involving Former Buckeyes
A number of roster moves were made over the weekend as NFL teams were forced to cut down on their players to make the 53-man limit on the active roster, and 10 spots on the practice squad.
Several of those moves involved former Buckeyes.
| Position | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| WR | DeVier Posey | Baltimore Ravens |
| DL | Tracy Sprinkle | Carolina Panthers |
| DB | Doran Grant | Chicago Bears |
| LB | Chris Worley | Cincinnati Bengals |
| WR | Braxton Miller | Houston Texans |
| DE | John Simon | Indianapolis Colts |
| QB | J.T. Barrett | New Orleans Saints |
| TE | Marcus Baugh | Oakland Raiders |
| DB | Tyvis Powell | San Francisco 49ers |
| DB | Damon Webb | Tennessee Titans |
Barrett was added to the Saints' practice squad on Sunday. The Bengals, Titans and 49ers have also re-signed Worley, Webb and Powell, respectively, to their practice squads, meaning they can practice with the club, and be eligible to be signed by any club, provided they are signed to that club's active roster.
In addition to the cuts, offensive lineman Jamarco Jones was placed on the Seattle Seahaws' injured reserve and also will not be on a 53-man roster, though he was not released.
