Brady Latham has been on the short end of the stick of luck for some time now.
The former Arkansas offensive lineman, who was picked up by the New York Jets after April’s NFL draft as an undrafted free agent, attempted to make the 53-man roster before they open up their season Sept. 9 against the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers.
Unfortunately for Latham, he didn’t make the final cut for Robert Saleh’s NY Jets squad. The undrafted free agent was waived during the final round of cuts on Aug. 27.
Latham’s agent, Chris Turnage, did a segment on Drive Time Sports in Little Rock last month and spoke about Latham’s progress in training camp before explaining an injury his client suffered that has to be most freakish of the NFL offseason.
“He had a really weird injury prior to OTAs,” Turnage said. “He and his dad were kind of rearranging their hunting gear and a hunting knife fell out of its sheath, hit the ground, bounced off the ground and punctured his calf.”
Tried to Bounce Back for NY Jets
Turnage added that Latham had to miss the rest of the OTAs after getting stitches and let the injury heal. The ironic thing is, they weren’t even going to actually hunt, they were just organizing their stuff at the family home in the Jenks, Okla. area for a future hunt. He told Latham he needs to come up with a cooler story, perhaps involving traipsing through the Amazon with a machete, than the actual chain of events.
“He’s recovered, but they’ve got him playing some center, which he never played at Arkansas,” Turnage said in late August before the final round of cuts. “He has never played [it] in a game.”
Latham played well through most of his Arkansas football career, but his performance took a hit in a drama-filled 2023 season that saw him have his worst game in the loss that started it all – BYU.
According to Pro Football Focus, Latham was penalized eight times in 2023 — with half of those flags coming against BYU — in 754 total snaps. In his previous four years, the 6’5″, 312-pound lineman had drawn only 12 flags in 2,510 snaps.
He could’ve elected to come back and play for the Razorbacks in 2024 or hit the transfer portal and found a program to possibly bolster his draft profile, but ultimately decided on playing the draft lottery.
Notes on Other NFL Pro Hogs
Dwight McGlothern
- After transferring in from LSU, McGlothern spent two years in the Razorback secondary and was quite the stalwart, picking off four passes and logging 52 tackles his first year in 2022.
- Despite signing with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent, McGlothern made their 53-man roster and is listed as a third-team cornerback on their unofficial depth chart. He also made the preseason all-rookie team handed out by Pro Football Focus, spearheaded by a 91-yard interception return in a preseason game against the Browns.
Kickers (Jake Bates and Cam Little)
- Jake Bates handled kickoffs at Arkansas, but never attempted a field goal in a game before playing in the UFL, where he hit a 64-yarder. That earned him a shot in the NFL and he made the most of it, winning the Detroit Lions’ job by hitting 6 of 7 field goals and 4 of 5 extra points in the preseason.
- Despite his inexperience, Lions head coach Dan Campbell is rolling with him as the Lions attempt to build off an NFC Championship Game appearance a year ago.
- As for Cam Little, the Jaguars are putting all their chips in with him, as Doug Pederson made him the starting kicker for 2024.
- Little is a guy that had little fanfare despite being drafted in the sixth round, but people may soon know who the soft-spoken Oklahoma native is
- NFL insider Bucky Brooks had high praise for the former Arkansas kicker: “Little crushed it for the Jaguars this preseason, exhibiting the consistency and range the team needed at the kicker position. He made six of his seven field goal attempts (85.7%) — with his lone miss a 62-yarder — and all seven of his extra-point tries, suggesting he will give head coach Doug Pederson the sure points he expects when the offense reaches the opposition’s 35-yard line. In a league where games are routinely decided by eight points or fewer, Little’s efficiency and effectiveness could be a game-changer for the Jaguars. “
Feleipe Franks
- Feliepe Franks was let go by the Falcons and picked up by the Carolina Panthers, who decided to keep him at tight end like Atlanta had, albeit on the practice squad.
New England Patriots
- The Patriots have five players who formerly wore the Hog on the helmet, which include mainstays Hunter Henry and Deatrich Wise Jr., but also now include Matt Landers and Armon Watts.
- Henry and Wise are on the 53-man roster, while Watts is currently on the IR and Landers is on the practice squad. John Morgan III also spent time in New England this offseason, but was released and received an injury settlement last month.
Fayetteville 49ers
- Both Brandon Allen and Dre Greenlaw will return for the defending NFC champions, who are attempting to win their first Lombardi Trophy in 30 years after losing in the Super Bowl twice in the last five seasons.
- Allen will begin the year as the backup quarterback to Brock Purdy, just ahead of Joshua Dobbs, who spent most of 2023 starting for both the Arizona Cardinals and the Minnesota Vikings.
- Greenlaw, meanwhile, is still recovering from the Achilles injury he suffered during Super Bowl LVIII. He will begin the year on the reserve/PUP list, which means he will have to miss at least four games before he is eligible to return.
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