Big Day For Ricard, Demby & Bates

All over the NFL many players are on pins and needles today. By 4pm each team must get down to 53 man rosters. That means 1,184 players will lose jobs today.

Three former UMaine Black Bears await their fate - Fullback/DL Pat Ricard (Baltimore Ravens), OL Jamil Denby (LA Rams) and LB Trevor Bates (Detroit Lions).

It appears all three could be sticking with their NFL team.

Ricard seems safe. He's in his second year with the Ravens. They turned him into a fullback and they really like him.

Demby is a rookie offensive lineman drafted by the Rams. The team has already cut several lineman and none are named Demby. At the very least, he could be a practice squad player.

And then there's linebacker Trevor Bates, from Westbrook HS before his days at UMaine. He may stick with the Lions as a special teams player. New head coach Matt Patricia knows him well from his Patriots days. Bates does not qualify to be on any team's practice squad.

Tick-tick-tick...4pm is coming.