NFL locals cuts tracker: Undrafted rookies Andre James, Bryan Mone in, draft pick Jackson Barton out as 26 Utah ties waived during final cutdown

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah NFL ties felt the impact of Saturday’s final cutdown deadline — 26 locals were waived as teams trimmed down to an initial 53-man active roster for the start of the regular season.

Amid the negative news, though, were a pair of local positive stories. Offensive tackle Andre James, a Herriman High product, and defensive tackle Bryan Mone, a Highland High alum, were two rookies who went undrafted but made regular-season rosters, James with Oakland and Mone with Seattle.

James was a three-year starter at UCLA who left for the NFL following his redshirt junior season, then signed as an undrafted free agent with the Raiders. Mone started 18 games for Michigan and had 44 career tackles from his nose tackle position before signing with the Seahawks.

James celebrated making the 53-man roster by tweeting: “Blessed for opportunity’s they said I’d never see.. #Undrafted #4Pops #RaiderNation.”

“Defensive tackle Bryan Mone is the only undrafted rookie to make Seahawks’ initial 53-man roster. Team is clearly high on him as a run stuffer,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer Seahawks reporter Ben Arthur wrote on Twitter.

One Utah tie who was drafted this year — Utah and Brighton High offensive tackle Jackson Barton — wasn’t so lucky, as the seventh-round pick was waived by Indianapolis.

He was one of nine locals taken in this year’s draft, including five Utes. All three drafted by Seattle — Utah safety Marquise Blair, Utah and Brighton High linebacker Cody Barton, Jackson’s brother, and Cedar and Westlake High’s John Ursua, a wideout — made the Seahawks roster along with Mone.

Of the 26 Utah ties who were waived, two had an injury designation — cornerback Dominique Hatfield (Utah) with the Rams and safety Kai Nacua (BYU) with the Colts — meaning that if they clear waivers, Hatfield and Nacua will revert to injured reserve with their respective teams.

Two other locals were placed on injured reserve — former Utah State and Timpview High tight end Dax Raymond with Chicago and former Highland High cornerback Fish Smithson with Baltimore.

Also, former Utah State cornerback Nevin Lawson was placed on the reserve/suspended list by Oakland for four games, stemming from violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances this offseason.

Following cutdowns, 45 locals made NFL active rosters, though teams will continue to retool their rosters beginning Sunday as they make waiver requests or sign now-available players to fill areas of concern. Also, teams can sign as many as 10 players to their practice squads beginning Sunday at noon ET.

Of those 45 on active rosters, the University of Utah led the way with 14 players, BYU had 11, Utah State 10, Southern Utah two and Weber State one, while seven others played high school in Utah and college ball out of state.

Here’s a look at the locals who were waived or a part of a transaction this weekend:

NFL locals involved in transactions during final cutdowns

Here’s a look at the 45 Utah ties who made initial 53-man rosters:

NFL locals currently on active rosters