It's roster cutdown day in the NFL and the Tennessee Titans are working hard to trim that number to the required 53. There will be some surprising names in the mix but one that might have originally seemed like a surprise but hurt his stock in the preseason was wide receiver Xavier Restrepo.
Restrepo became a well-known name for Titans fans only because of his connection to Cam Ward, as the two played together at Miami. The two didn't just play together in college, they tore it up on the field during their one year together with the Hurricanes with Restrepo tallying over 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Restrepo went undrafted but it made sense for the Titans to sign him as a UDFA considering the connection he had with Ward, who Tennessee took number one overall. Unfortunately for Restrepo, he wasn't able to show off the way he did with the Hurricanes and he was waived by the Titans on Tuesday ahead of the roster cut deadline, according to Adam Schefter.
Titans waive Xavier Restrepo but he could stick around on practice squad
No, Restrepo didn't make the roster but it might not be over for him in Nashville just yet. Schefter reported that the UDFA "is expected to be a candidate for Tennessee’s practice squad" so if no one else scoops him up, he'll likely be rejoining the team.
We see all the time how quarterbacks reunite with their wide receivers from college at the pro level and go on to do great things but it was a bit of a different tale here. Typically those receivers are top draft picks or at least hear their name called at some point. It was always going to be an uphill battle for Restrepo even with his college quarterback throwing passes for the same team.
Restrepo didn't show much potential in the preseason and was mostly taking reps with the third-team on offense. In the brief time he saw the field during the preseason, Restrepo simply didn't do enough to separate himself from the other receivers fighting for a roster spot.
While Ward might be disappointed by this news, Restrepo only has himself to blame. He had a golden situation that he could have used to his advantage but he ultimately disappointed when called upon. We probably haven't seen the last of Restrepo completely but it's unlikely he becomes the threat fans were hoping he'd be when the Titans first signed him.