4 days ago
NFL roster moves: Arizona Cardinals land OL Roy Mbaeteka off waivers
Roy Mbaeteka is added to the Cardinals' roster with an international exemption.
The Arizona Cardinals have filled the vacancy left on their roster left when rookie offensive lineman Valentin Senn was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury. The Cardinals had a full 90-man roster, but because Senn, who is from Austria, was on the roster with an international exemption to be player No. 91, they could not immediately fill his spot.
That happened Tuesday when they announced they were awarded offensive lineman Roy Mbaeteka, recently released by the Cleveland Browns. He was added to the roster with an international exemption to be player No. 91 on the roster.
Mbaeteka is a mammoth of a man at 6-foot-8 and 330 pounds.
Arizona Cardinals land international OL
He was originally signed by the New York Giants in 2022 as part of the NFL's International Player Pathway Program and was on the Chicago Bears' practice squad in 2023 and the Browns' practice squad last season. A native of Benin City, Nigeria, Mbaeteka never played organized football prior to participating at a camp in his home country in 2021.
Assuming he will not make the 53-man roster when roster cutdowns happen later this month, if he clears waivers, the Cardinals can re-sign him to their practice squad with an exemption so they can have 17 players instead of 16.
He likely won't get enough work this week to play in the Cardinals' second preseason game on the road against the Denver Broncos on Saturday, but perhaps he will see action in the preseason finale on Aug. 23 against the Las Vegas Raiders at State Farm Stadium.
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