We previously reported that Michigan State had 6 players from the 2024 roster get picked up as undrafted free agents by NFL teams this past offseason. That goes in addition to the Spartans lone draft pick, Luke Newman, who was selected by the Chicago Bears.
In this article, we will look at how those six Spartans are doing with their new teams and examine the likelihood of any of them making the regular season roster. In regards to Newman, we can assume he will make the Bears roster. He was a draft
pick and he started, and played the majority of, their last game, a game the Bears dominated. Newman has been looking solid in his playing time.
Jonathan Kim – Kicker; Chicago Bears
The bad news is that the Bears have already waived Jonathan Kim. The good news is that there is now one less Spartan on that team I despise. He attempted two extra points in the Bears first preseason game and made them both. For now, he is not on an NFL roster.
Nathan Carter – RB; Atlanta Falcons
Nathan Carter was involved in a scary incident in his first preseason game. Early in the 4th quarter of their game against the Detroit Lions, Carter got a carry and, after getting past the line of scrimmage, Lions safety Morice Norris attempted to tackle Carter at the legs. Unfortunately, Carter’s knee hit Norris square in the facemask and jarred his head backwards violently. Norris suffered a gruesome injury – he could be seen twitching on the field – and the game was ultimately stopped after Norris required 20 minutes to be loaded into an ambulance and then the two teams agreed not to continue to play.
Carter was shook up by the incident, but he spoke to Norris during the week and Norris assured Carter that he was doing okay. Actually, Norris got released from the hospital the next day with full feeling and mobility; now, miraculously, he is just in the concussion protocol and trying to get back on the field.
Carter only had three carries for 12 yards in that Lions game. But he followed that up with a nine carry, 63 yard, 1 TD stat line in his next game. He has a good chance at being Atlanta’s RB3 and should make it past cut-down day.
Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams – RB; Carolina Panthers
Carter’s former backfield partner, KRLA got signed by a Panther team with a little more depth at the RB spot than Atlanta has. That said, Lynch-Adams has still seen the field this preseason. In the opener, he only had two carries and ended up with a net loss of one yard. In the next game, he had five rushes for 27 yards.
I think KRLA has a tough path to Carolina’s 53 and he may be destined for a spot on the practice squad.
Maverick Hansen – DT; Indianapolis Colts
I have no information on this one. Hansen is not currently listed on any Colts roster that I can see but I have not found any mention of them already releasing him. For now, I have to assume he is not a part of any NFL team.
Lejond Cavazos – CB; Tampa Bay Bucs
I said at the time that I did not understand how the seldom used Cavajos got an NFL invite. I guess it did not take long for Tampa Bay to figure out what I already knew. Cavajos, like Hansen in Indianapolis, is no longer on this roster.
Khris Bogle – DE; New York Giants
Bogle is the guy I thought would actually get drafted. That did not happen and, like Kim, Hansen, and Cavajos, Bogle is no longer with the team that called him in after the draft. Hopefully some team takes a chance on him and he can get on a practice squad somewhere.
So of the six undrafted players who at least got to a team facility, only two are still on that roster. Of those two, one seems a likely candidate to make his team’s regular season roster while the other, in my opinion, is probably going to be a practice squad guy.
