Today was Marcus Easley's fifth annual football camp and after never being able to make it down there to catch up with the former UConn receiver, I was able to make the trip to Trumbull this morning.

It was actually a 2 for the price of 1 deal as Robert McClain was also there supporting his former college teammate.

I wrote a story focusing on Easley's desire to give back to the community he grew up in which should be up on the Register's site later on this afternoon. Both Easley and McClain spoke about the addition of Byron Jones, Geremy Davis, B.J. McBryde and Deshon Foxx to the list of UConn products in NFL training camps.

"Everybody wants to see their college with a lot of guys (in the NFL)," said McClain, who signed with the New England Patriots after three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. "I know guys back at UConn, I talked to Byron a little bit and it is good seeing UConn guys getting into the pros because we all have that same work ethic."

Davis is the first receiver from UConn selected in the NFL draft since Easley became the first former UConn WR drafted by an NFL team in 2010.

"He is a big strong physical guy, we are both from UConn so I am definitely (pulling for him)," Easley said. "I understand the grind and I would just tell him to keep doing what you are doing because it got you this far and it is only going to continue to take you places."

Speaking of receivers, fellow Bills wideouts Deonte Thompson and Robert Woods were among the NFL players taking part in today's camp.

"Guys don't like asking for help at this level so the fact that they reached out to me 'whatever you need, we will be there for you,'" Easley said. "They came from Buffalo, we have a few that came from Tampa and that just shows the love that is out there. The guys support me and I would do the same for them."

Easley, who signed a four-year extension in March, is somewhat excited about the changes in Buffalo including the hiring of former New York Jets coach Rex Ryan as the Bills new coach.

"It is pretty exciting, they couldn't have picked a better coach for us to play for knowing how things went the last two seasons," Easley said. "I'm not saying that (Doug) Marrone isn't a good coach or anything but it was a transition that needed to be made and who doesn't love Rex Ryan? He is a player's coach, he definitely won the team over and it is a really good vibe right now. They made some big splashes in free agency and signed me as well so I am grateful for that. They (Buffalo fans) haven't been this excited in a long, long time."

Easley doesn't get back to UConn as often as he would like. He was there in November when the memorial was unveiled in honor of slain former UConn cornerback Jasper Howard.

"There are a lot of new faces up there with the coaching changes," Easley said. "They had two new coaches since I have been there so any opportunity I get to go I try to but the last time I was there was last season when they unveiled the statue for Jasper Howard and it was good to see everybody. It was special but it makes you reminisce about that day and that night when I got that call. It is unfortunate something like that happens but it just makes you appreciate those guys because we have been through a life changing experience."

While Easley has been with Buffalo since he was drafted, McClain is on his fourth NFL team. He happens to be joining the defending Super Bowl champions.

"I am just excited to be on the team and ready to contribute and help the team," McClain said. "There are changes all over the NFL, it happens every year but the only thing I can control is what I can do.

"I had a good career in Atlanta. It is part of the business, guys go to different teams and they move around a lot."

With the news that former UConn running back Lyle McCombs, the Huskies' leading rusher in each of the last three seasons, is enrolled at Rhode Island it got me wondering where the other players who have departed from UConn for one reason or another have landed.

The only new news I can report is that former running back Joe Williams is on the roster at ASA College in New York, which begins the season ranked No. 7 in the National Junior College Athletic Association national poll after posting a 9-1 record a season ago.

Williams came to UConn with plenty of hype out of Fork Union Military Academy. He enrolled at UConn for the spring semester in 2012 and took part in spring practice. I still remember in my first sit-down interview with then UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni when I was assigned to cover the team that Pasqualoni mentioned how much potential Williams had. However, his final career totals were three carries for nine yards all coming in a 2012 game against Temple.

A season ago Williams was suspended before the season started due to larceny charges and was never reinstated. He is listed as a sophomore on the ASA College so if he can have a strong season he can making his way back to a Division I team for his final two seasons of eligibility.

FORMER UCONN RECEIVERS STAND OUT
According to the ESPN box score, former UConn receiver Nick Williams was only targeted twice in the Washington Redskins' 24-23 win over the Cleveland Browns but he made the second one count as he caught the game-winning 30-yard touchdown pass for the Redskins.

There is also a video of an impressive catch in Buffalo Bills practice by former UConn receiver Marcus Easley.

It's hard to imagine there has been a day where so many different UConn products made splash plays on the same NFL weekend.

Jordan Todman had a 5-yard touchdown run, his second of the season, and Dwayne Gratz had five tackles and an interception in his return to the starting lineup as the Jacksonville Jaguars defeated Tennessee for their first win of the season. Todman also had a 2-yard catch and returned three kickoffs for 99 yards including a 46 yarder.

Donald Brown scored the Indianapolis Colts' only touchdown on a 13-yard reception and finished with 64 yards on five receptions in a 38-8 loss to St. Louis.

Ryan Griffin caught a 2-yard touchdown pass, the first of his NFL career, in the Houston Texans' 27-24 loss to Arizona. It was his first catch in nearly a month as Griffin had his first two career catches in an Oct. 13 loss to St. Louis.

Sio Moore had a sack, a forced fumble and a team-high nine tackles in Oakland's 24-20 loss to the New York Giants. There aren't any stats for offensive lineman but Giants left tackle Will Beatty started and helped the Giants' Andre Brown run for 115 yards.

Also, Marcus Easley had his first two career receptions as he had 13 yards on a pair of catches in Buffalo's 23-10 loss to Pittsburgh.

Kendall Reyes had four tackles in San Diego's 28-20 loss to Denver.

Today is a huge one for former UConn players on the proverbial roster bubble as NFL teams have to get down to the regular-season maximum 53-player rosters.

While the list of cuts start trickling in, I figured I would post about where the UConn players finished in preseason stat lists.

Jordan Todman, who has made Jacksonville's 53-man roster, was the second-leading rusher in the preseason with 223 yards averaging an impressive 7.7 yards per carry.

Ryan Griffin, a sixth-round pick of the Houston Texans, finished second with 14 receptions while Buffalo's Marcus Easley was tied for seventh with 12 catches and second with 223 receiving yards.

Dwayne Gratz of Jacksonville was tied for second with two interceptions and Trevardo Williams of the Houston Texans was tied for fourth with 3.5 sacks.

It's not all good news as there are multiple reports out of Oakland that Raiders' rookie linebacker Sio Moore could miss the season opener with a toe injury. If that is the case it would only be a temporary setback with Moore, who is expecting to make a major impact for the Raiders.

Former UConn wide receiver Marcus Easley continues his strong play during the preseason as he had three catches for a team-high 46 yards in the Buffalo Bills' 20-16 win over Minnesota on Friday night. Easley now has 10 catches in Buffalo's first two preseason games.

Tyvon Branch finished with four tackles in Oakland's 28-20 loss to New Orleans while Dan Orlovsky was 3 for 3 passing for 52 yards in Tampa Bay's 25-21 loss to New England.

Former UConn WR Marcus Easley hauled in seven passes for 94 yards in the Buffalo Bills' 44-20 win over Indianapolis. He also had a 21-yard kickoff return.

For the Colts, Darius Butler had two tackles including one tackle for a loss and Donald Brown ran three times for 10 yards and caught a 22-yard pass

Darius Butler is the first of the three former UConn players to have a chance of seeing action in the NFL playoffs when the Indianapolis Colts play at Baltimore tomorrow at 1 p.m.

Butler, a cornerback, was originally drafted by the New England Patriots in 2009. After playing two seasons with the Patriots, he spent last year with the Carolina Panthers before being let go on Aug. 31. Butler was signed by Indianapolis on Sep. 25 and played 11 games for the Colts. Butler has 31 tackles and four interceptions for the Colts. Indianapolis also has two former Huskies on injured reserve. Running back Donald Brown ran for 417 yards in 10 games while linebacker Scott Lutrus was put on the IR in the preseason. Former UConn stars Kashif Moore and Greg Lloyd also spent time on Indianapolis' practice squad this season.

The other two UConn products on playoff teams will have to wait a week to get onto the field.

Donald Thomas, an offensive guard who played in all 16 games and started seven games, is another player who benefited from a change of scenery. Thomas started 13 games during the 2009 and 2010 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He is in his second season with the Patriots and played a key role in allowing the Patriots to overcome a string of injuries on the offensive line. The Patriots are the second seed in the AFC and will host the highest remaining seed which emerges from this weekend's action on Jan. 13.

Cornerback Robert McClain of the Atlanta Falcons has been one of the biggest surprises of the NFL season. Like Thomas and Butler, he was given an opportunity to play due to injuries to established players.

McClain, who played 16 games for the Carolina Panthers in 2010, was an under the radar offseason signing by the Falcons and he has 61 tackles and an interception this season for Atlanta.

The Falcons are the top seed in the NFC and will host the lowest remaining NFC seed on Jan. 13 at 1 p.m.

Here is a breakdown on how the other UConn products fared this season (not including players on practice squads):

OT Will Beatty, New York Giants: Played 16 games and had 15 starts for Giants
S Tyvon Branch, Oakland: Had 94 tackles and an interception while starting 14 games
WR Marcus Easley: Did not have a reception in three games although he did return two kickoffs for 75 yards
QB Dan Orlovsky, Tampa Bay: Was 4 of 7 for 41 yards in 41-0 loss to New Orleans in only appearance
DT Kendall Reyes, San Diego: Had 28 tackles in 16 games and 3.5 of his 5.5 sacks came in win over New York Jets.
FB Anthony Sherman, Arizona: Played 13 games with four starts. Had no carries but had five receptions for 39 yards
RB Jordan Todman, Jacksonville: Had three rushes for eight yards and one catch for no yards in only game against New York Jets

I couldn't help but notice that two of the most severe injuries during week one of the NFL season happened on teams and at positions where former UConn stars could be in line to see expanded roles.

Let's start in Atlanta where Pro Bowl CB Brent Grimes suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Among the reserve cornerbacks on the Falcons' 53-man roster is former UConn product Robert McClain. McClain made the team with a strong showing in the preseason but was inactive for the first game against Kansas City. It will be interesting to see if McClain can work his way into the nickel package with Grimes no longer in the equation.

In Buffalo the season-ending knee injury suffered by David Nelson may lead to Marcus Easley being promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. Easley did not have a strong camp but did return a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in the final preseason game against Detroit and has more familiarity with the Bills offense than a player who could be brought in to try to replace Nelson.

Little by little word is coming out about players being named to NFL practice squads. So far I have seen reports that the WR Marcus Easley (Buffalo), WR Kashif Moore (Indianapolis) and RB Jordan Todman (Minnesota) have been signed to the practice squads of the teams which cut them yesterday.

Just a quick recap of how former UConn stars fared in exhibition games on Thursday night

WR Marcus Easley, Buffalo: Had one catch for 12 yards in 7-6 loss to Washington
DB Robert McClain, Atlanta: Tied for team lead with five solo tackles and six overall tackles and had an interception in 31-17 loss to Baltimore
DT Kendall Reyes, San Diego: Had four total tackles and 1/2 a sack in 21-13 win over Green Bay
OG Donald Thomas, New England: Got start at LG in 7-6 win over New Orleans
LB Lawrence Wilson, New Orleans: Had four total tackles in 7-6 loss to New England.

There will be six more preseason games on Friday although there are reports that former Huskies Will Beatty (New York Giants OT) and Jordan Todman (Minnesota Vikings RB) will be held out because of back and ankle injuries respectively.

In the Canadian Football League Larry Taylor returned eight punts for 88 yards, had 85 yards on four kickoff returns and ran once for 13 yards in Calgary's 31-20 win over Hamilton. Taylor added to his league league in combined return yardage. He has 1,228 yards between kickoff, punt and missed field goal returns and no other CFL player has hit the 1,000-yard mark.