The dream of Lawrence Okoye in San Francisco has come to a close for the time being. The former Olympian has signed with the Arizona Cardinals practice squad, according to Doug Kyed. Okoye worked out for the New England Patriots earlier this week after the San Francisco 49ers released him as part of their Monday roster cuts.
I don't really have a lot to add to this for now. Okoye told the media he felt he had reached a point where he could play in this league. The 49ers have a lot of young talent on the defensive line. While there are questions as to how the group will shake out, Okoye was going to face a tough battle to earn a roster spot down the road. Arizona has some talent on their line, but I would say not as much younger talent with upside. I could see Okoye seeing this as a better situation to work his way onto a 53-man roster.
There is no word on if the 49ers approached Okoye about their own practice squad. The team has brought back nose tackle Garrison Smith and defensive tackle Kaleb Ramsey, according to reports.