Bergen, Mellott among NFL cuts Tuesday

Cut day was a tough day for Montana.

Both Junior Bergen, a rookie with the San Francisco 49ers, and Tommy Mellott, drafted one round ahead of Bergen this year by the Las Vegas Raiders, were waived Tuesday as NFL teams cut down their rosters to 53. 

Bergen, a Billings native who starred for the Montana Grizzlies, was a seventh-round pick. 

Mellott, the Butte product and star quarterback for Montana State, went in the sixth round — two picks before North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller, who was also waived by the Raiders. 

Bergen was returning kicks and playing receiver for the 49ers, while Mellott was converted to receiver and also was seeing time on the Raiders’ special teams. Both players could conceivably end up with other teams or on their team’s 16-man practice rosters. Any team in the NFL can claim them.  

Also hitting the waiver wire: Bobcat D-lineman Sebastian Valdez (49ers); O-lineman Rush Reimer, who started his career at MSU (Buffalo) and receiver Lance McCutcheon (Steelers). 

It wasn’t all bad for MSU: Ty Okada made the cut in Seattle as the Seahawks’ fifth safety; defensive lineman Daniel Hardy made the Chicago Bears’ 53-man roster. Linebacker Troy Andersen remains with Atlanta, though he is on the Falcons’ physically unable to perform list; linebacker Alex Singleton is back and healthy for the Denver Broncos. 

As montanasports.com pointed out, no Grizzlies are currently on NFL rosters. Offensive lineman Dylan Cook was waived by Pittsburgh Tuesday; linebacker and Glacier High grad Patrick O’Connell, who’d had a strong preseason, was released by Seattle.  

On Sunday the Bears released receiver Samori Toure, who’d gone from the Griz to Green Bay, then spent the 2024 season on Chicago’s practice squad. 

Bozeman native Will Dissly, who starred at tight end for the Washington Huskies, remains with the San Diego Chargers after a productive 2024. 

It wasn’t an easy day for NDSU, either; Easton Stick, another Bison QB, was released by Atlanta on Tuesday.

    Grizzlies wide receiver Junior Bergen (5) stiff-arms Northern Arizona cornerback Zach Lewis (3) on an 11-yard reception in the third quarter against Northern Arizona at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 12. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider