One of the most interesting stories of the offseason for Atlanta has come to an end. Atlanta has waived former 2nd round pick Ra’Shede Hageman off of the Injured/Suspended List today.
Hageman was highly thought of coming out of Minnesota in 2014 but was released in 2017 after being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list for a domestic violence incident. Hageman had a decent first few seasons, recording 61 tackles and four sacks. He was brought in for depth on the defensive front, but with Grady Jarrett re-signing and Tyeler Davison making some noise on the front, his services are no longer needed. Hageman was also arrested for a DUI in June (it was reduced), and that surely didn’t help his case. Even though Hageman’s charges were reduced and his legal troubles were behind him, he still spent two years away from the NFL and a suspension for substance abuse from the NFL was looming. Personally, I believe he’s turned his life around but his time on the Falcons 53 man roster is up.
Hageman’s suspension for the DUI was probably the last straw. Even though it was only two games, he was already on thin ice. After he served his two-game suspension, the Falcons didn’t think he was worthy of a roster spot. Hageman’s had a long road back, and hopefully, he finds a spot on a practice squad or another NFL team.