Canadian Football League teams had to trim their rosters to 46 players today and among those players let go today was Trevardo Williams, UConn's all-time leader in sacks, who was waived by the Toronto Argonauts.
Williams played in both preseason games for Toronto, finishing with two tackles and one sack.
Former UConn receiver Terence Jeffers-Harris was cut by the BC Lions. While official rosters haven't been posted, former Huskies Martin Bedard (Montreal), Reuben Frank (Edmonton), Jesse Joseph (Montreal) and Alex Mateas (Ottawa) were not listed among the cuts. Bedard, Joseph and Mateas (a former No. 1 overall pick) are all from Canada so it's not a surprise to see them survive the cuts but it would be an impressive feat for Frank to be on the opening game roster for Edmonton. Frank was signed by Edmonton on May 28.
I'd expect official rosters to be on the official CFL site perhaps as soon as tomorrow. The regular season kicks off on Thursday when Hamilton plays Toronto.
Jones, McBryde look to add to legacy of 2012 UConn defense
Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Sio Moore lead list of members of 2012 UConn defense who are playing pro football
The adage is that defense wins championships but during the 2012 season, a plethora of professional prospects on the defensive side of the ball wasn't enough to keep UConn from limping to a 5-7 final record.
When Byron Jones will be the seventh member of that defensive squad to be taken in the NFL Draft. B.J. McBryde has put himself in position to get into an NFL training camp as well. If that happens, 15 defensive players from that team would have had a taste of professional football. Perhaps safety Andrew Adams, defensive end Kenton Adeyemi and defensive tackle Julian Campenni, who will be seniors on the '15 UConn squad, can add to that list that is if Angelo Pruitt doesn't find his way into an NFL training camp this year.
It started in the 2013 NFL Draft when cornerbacks Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh Wilson and linebacker Sio Moore were all taken in the third round. Defensive end Trevardo Williams went in the fourth round.
Here's a breakdown of the defensive players from the 2012 team
Player 2012 statistics Pro team
Yawin Smallwood 120 tackles, 15 TFL 7th round pick by Atlanta Falcons, on Tennessee roster
Jory Johnson 95 tackles Leads Bemidji of IFL in interceptions and tackles for loss
Sio Moore 78 tackles, 8 sacks 140 tackles, 7.5 sacks in 26 games with Oakland Raiders
Dwayne Gratz 53 tackles, 3 INTs 3 interceptions in two seasons with Jacksonville Jaguars
Ryan Wirth 51 tackles, 10 TFL Was in rookie camp with Baltimore Ravens
Blidi Wreh-Wilson 47 tackles 11 passes defended in 24 games with Tennessee Titans
Trevardo Williams 11/5 sacks 5 tackles and sack in 3 games with Washington Redskins
Taylor Mack 28 tackles Signed by CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats on April 14
Shamar Stephen 26 tackles 23 tackles in 16 games as rookie for Minnesota Vikings
Tim Willman 18 tackles, 3 sacks Was in rookie camp with Jacksonville Jaguars
Jesse Joseph 12 tackles Drafted by CFL's Montreal Alouettes, took part in Chicago Bears rookie camp
Ryan Donohue 5 tackles Was in rookie camp with Philadelphia Eagles
Teddy Jennings 1 tackle Set Arena Football League's Philadelphia Soul record with 11 sacks during 2014 season
MUELLER NAMED TO HAMPSHIRE SOCIETY HONOR SOCIETY
Adam Mueller, a three-year starting long snapper, earned spots on the conference's all-academic teams in each of his four seasons at UConn. Now comes an even more impressive honor.
There are also 11 players from Yale, seven from Wesleyan and three from Trinity College on the list including 2014 NFF National Scholar-Athletes Tyler Varga from Yale and Trinity's Mike Mancini from Rocky Hill. Looking very quickly at the list, I also saw Cheshire's Rob Bowman from UNH (the one in New Hampshire) and Wallingford's Brett Biestek from Fordham.
Williams was taken by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. However, he was dealing with injuries he suffered during the weeks and months leading up to the draft and spent his rookie season on injured reserve. He began training camp on the physically unable to perform list. He passed his physical yesterday and was added to the active roster before being released today.
The Texans were asking Williams, a collegiate defensive end, to make the move to outside linebacker so the time he was sidelined short circuited his attempt to make the transition to outside linebacker. By all accounts Williams used the time away from the field to work out like crazy and was considered to be one of the most impressive looking players on the Houston roster. It will be interesting to see if another team takes a chance on a speedy rush linebacker like Williams.
Williams never appeared in a regular-season game with the Texans but he did appear in four preseason games last season and had 3/5 sacks.
Williams' release and OG Donald Thomas being placed on IR by the Indianapolis means that 20 former UConn players are currently on NFL active rosters.
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.
With a wave of cuts on the horizon it is now or never for the former UConn stars who are fighting to make it onto the regular-season roster.
Running back Jordan Todman continues to make a statement that he belongs by ripping off a scintillating 63-yard TD run as part of an eight-carry, 105-yard rushing performance in the Jaguars' 31-24 loss to Philadelphia.
With injuries limiting the preseason work of the Jaguars' top running backs, Todman has had plenty of chances to show what he is capable of and he is making the best of his situation. He is currently ranks third with 163 rushing yards in the preseason.
"Any opportunity I get, my goal is to score and make a big play," Todman said in a post on the Jaguars official site. "I’m definitely trying to take advantage of every opportunity. I leave it on the field every day.”
In the same game rookie cornerback Dwayne Gratz intercepted his second pass of the preseason which ties him with three other players for the preseason lead.
As for other UConn products in action:
Donald Brown rushed five times for 35 yards and Darius Butler had two tackles in the Indianapolis Colts' 27-6 win over Cleveland
Danny Lansanah had three tackles in the New York Jets' 24-21 overtime win over the New York Giants.
Nick Williams had two catches for 19 yards during the final scoring drive in Washington's 30-7 win over Buffalo.
Blidi Wreh-Wilson had a tackle and pass breakup in Tennessee's 27-16 win over Atlanta. Robert McClain had solo tackles for the Falcons.
Kendall Reyes had a pair of solo tackles in San Diego's 24-7 win over Arizona.
Four more former Huskies could be in action when New Orleans plays Houston as Lawrence Wilson is a linebacker with the Saints and linebacker Trevardo Williams, tight end Ryan Griffin and receiver Michael Smith play for the Texans.
Also, up North former UConn TE John Delahunt had one catch for 18 yards as the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated Winnipeg 37-14.
When UConn has had its full complement of defensive linemen senior Tim Willman has been garnering the majority of first-team snaps at right defensive end which happens to be the same position Trevardo Williams held down in recent years en route to seeing the program sacks record.
Willman, who is about 20 pounds heavier than Williams, obviously brings a different dimension that Williams as he lacks the speed and impressive first step that Williams possessed but in the practices I attended in the preseason he was consistently one of the more noticeable defensive players I have seen. He was in the backfield on a regular basis which is something he will be asked to do in his senior season.
"I bring a lot of good run stopping," said Williams, who had three sacks during the 2012 season. "I learned a lot of technique from him so I am trying to play like him but also play my own style."
UConn not only lost Williams but defensive tackle Ryan Wirth from its defensive line. Wirth has been the one player that UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni has consistently mentioned as one of the toughest players that the Huskies need to replace.
With Shamar Stephen healthier than he was at any point last year, Julian Campenni seemingly in position to build on a solid freshman season and Jesse Joseph back after missing the last nine games of last season with a torn Achilles' tendon, the Huskies have a chance to have one of its most physical defensive fronts in recent memory.
"We lost two great players and we miss them a lot but we are picking up right where we left off and we are not missing a beat," Willman said
"That is something we are going to hang our hats on. We are going to play physical, play hard and play UConn defense."
Danny Lansanah (47) celebrates with his New York Jets teammates after making an interception against Jacksonville on Saturday.
On Friday it was Marcus Easley continuing to make a push for a roster spot with the Buffalo Bills and Saturday night fellow former Huskies Danny Lansanah certainly helped his chances of making the opening-day roster of the New York Jets with an impressive interception in a 37-14 win over Jacksonville. Lansanah also had a solo tackle in the game. For Jacksonville, Dwayne Gratz had three tackles while Jordan Todman ran six times for 13 yards.
Also, UConn's career sack leader Trevardo Williams recorded his first two quarterback sacks in Houston's 24-17 win over Miami. Ryan Griffin had three catches for 32 yards in the game for the Texans
Blidi Wreh-Wilson finished with two solo tackles in Tennessee's 27-19 loss to Cincinnati.
Also, in Canadian Football League action John Delahunt had his second touchdown catch of the season with a 1-yard TD grab in the first quarter in Hamilton's 37-18 win over Winnipeg and Larry Taylor had 166 all-purpose yards in Calgary's 26-22 loss to British Columbia.
I took a ride up to Worcester earlier today so I could catch up with former UConn kicker Dave Teggart who hosted the first camp as part of the Teggart Total Kicking program he recently started with his father. A story on how he decided to become a kicking coach will appear in tomorrow's edition of the Register.
However, don't think for a minute that this endeavor means that he is giving up on his aspirations to be a kicker in the NFL.
Teggart impressed at a kicking showcase in Arizona in March which resulted in a tryout with the Seattle Seahawks. Although he was not signed by Seattle, he is hoping he opened enough eyes there to be on the radar when a team needs a kicker.
He was signed as a free agent by Chicago coming out of UConn and made it to training camp but he was unable to unseat the Bears’ incumbent kicker Robbie Gould. He spent six months in Los Angeles working out under former NFL kicker Michael Husted that culminated with an impressive showing at a showcase in March.
“Robbie Gould he is a great kicker,” Teggart said. “He is a great guy to learn from but competing against a guy like that, I think he is pretty safe there. It was a great learning experience, I learned from the best. I went to California and trained. At a showcase in Arizona in March, won the field goal portion and I ended up they flew me to Seattle for a workout.
“Hopefully I keep getting these workouts,” Teggart said. “All I can control is staying ready and be ready when I get the call.
“There are so many kickers out there and so few spots. I have no illusions that it is easy. Obviously it is not the easiest position to make it, there are four quarterbacks, four linebackers for each position and for kickers there is only one. You have to get lucky and stay ready; you never know when the call is going to come. I will always stay in shape, always stay ready. I am still booming the ball. I am going to keep training forever, it is one of those things that I can use my abilities to help kids and keep myself in shape.”
Teggart said the biggest improvement he has made as a kicker has come on kickoffs since he knew that a kicker who struggled kicking the ball off has little chance to making it an NFL roster.
“I feel like I am kicking better than I ever have,” Teggart said. “At UConn I never really (kicked off) because we had Desi Cullen and he got it into the end zone every time and Chad (Christen) does very good kickoffs and I never really got the chance to showcase that ability. That is something I have improved upon; field goals have never been a problem for me it is just kickoffs. I am putting the kickoffs out of the end zone now and it is just a matter of getting into the right place at the right time, have somebody see me and take a chance on me.
Regardless of whether Teggart ever appears in an NFL regular-season game, his legacy in Connecticut was forever sealed when he blasted a 52-yard field goal against South Florida in the 2010 regular-season finale to kick the Huskies into a BCS game and showdown with Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.
“That was one of my favorite moments to be able to go to a BCS game like that,” Teggart said. “At the time when you are lining up you are not really thinking of all the things that go with it. You are like ‘man, I’ve got a kick here and I’ve got to treat it like an extra point. I have to put it through or we are going to lose.’ That whole experience, that whole Fiesta Bowl ride, that was something you will never forget.”
I also addressed some other UConn-related topics with Teggart including his take on seeing five of his former UConn teammates (Dwayne Gratz, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Sio Moore, Trevardo Williams and Ryan Griffin) taken in April's NFL draft.
"It goes to show everyone of those guys who were drafted are great people off the field as well," Teggart said. "I am really good friends with all of them and it just goes to show how much off the field matters as much as one the field. They are all great guys and they deserve everything they get. I wish them luck in the upcoming season."
When current UConn kicker Chad Christen missed four field goals in a loss to Temple, he told the media that Teggart was one of the first people to reach out to him.
"I have known Chad for a long time," Teggart said. "I have developed a great relationship with him over the time he was here, he was my holder for two years. He had a huge game winner against Louisville and believe me I was up on that screen watching. I was dying for him ‘hey, you’ve got to make it.’ When he did, I was going nuts. I was probably more excited than if it was me kicking it."
Finally here are Teggart's thoughts on his time at UConn.
"UConn was the best four years of my life," Teggart said. "It is indescribable what I think of that place, all the fans, everybody treated me great. Coach Edsall gave me a shot and Coach Pasqualoni when he came in he treated me very well. It has given me opportunities I wouldn’t have had any other place, I attempted more field goals than any other place in the country. UConn is a great place to be a field goal kicker, we were always in tight end games and we were always kicking field goals. I loved every minute at UConn."
Well, a few days later Texans coach Gary Kubiak was quick to put an end to that speculation saying that he expected Reed to remain outside.
"First off, Brooks is our starting SAM linebacker and he’s a great player," Kubiak said on April 27. "We’re not going to do anything to impede the progress of Brooks Reed. Now he is
a guy who can give you flexibility. We’ve been caught in some situations where
he’s done that for our football team. What we’ve done right now is just add more
quality players at the depth of our linebacker position. Brooks is lining up at
the SAM position and we expect him to be a great player. We’ve got to get these
other guys to fit what they do best and what they can do best for our football
team. But there’s no decisions made like that at this point. We think too much
of what Brooks is doing at that position to start thinking about that.”
While it is dangerous to read too much into one day at Houston's Organized Team Activities, it should be noted that Reed lined up at inside linebacker yesterday. Of course, the absence of starting inside linebacker Brian Cushing left Houstoin a little thin at the inside linebacker position. However, the more time that Reed spends playing inside linebacker is the more time that Williams can show what he can do while lining up as a strong-side outside linebacker.
"Brooks (Reed) is repping inside right now, so that lets Sam (Montgomery) and Trevardo (Williams) rep with the first and second groups and (OLB Bryan) Braman rep with the first group, so I think right the key is that we just get them all going," Kubiak said after Monday's OTA session. "We can settle them down. Brooks can always move, but we wanted to make sure these young guys stayed in one spot so we could really evaluate them.”
"(Williams) was exactly what we thought,” Kubiak said in a post-practice report posted on the team's official site on Sunday: “Tremendous speed. He can really run. (He) is a little ahead of (third-round pick Sam) Montgomery.”
In other notes from the Texans, former UConn tight end Ryan Griffin was signed by the team on Friday. Griffin was taken by the Texans in the sixth round. Meanwhile,former UConn receiver Michael Smith was one of 19 undrafted rookie free agents signed by the team on Friday.
With a program-record five players drafted and three others heading into NFL training camps, it's been a rather productive few days for the UConn football program.
The question now is what are the draft prospects for UConn in 2014?
At first glance the answer is that it will be nowhere like it was this year.
Dwayne Gratz, Sio Moore, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Trevardo Williams and Ryan Griffin came into their seniors seasons as known commodities since they have been making plays since they were freshmen or sophomores. It's not a huge shock that they caught the eyes of NFL scouts. Nick Williams, Michael Smith and Ryan Wirth, who are heading into training camps as undrafted signees, all had the talent and enough impactful moments to get invites from NFL teams.
Looking at the current group of UConn football seniors and it seems to be a different story.
Many of the seniors in line to start next season would be players like Taylor Mack, Tim Willman and Ryan Donohue who have been role players in the past. The most experienced seniors are defensive end Jesse Joseph and offensive linemen Jimmy Bennett, Kevin Friend and Steve Greene.
I took a look at the www.nfldraftscout.com site's 2014 NFL draft database and the players at the top of the positional rankings are Greene (the No. 61 rated offensive guard) and Cole Wagner (the 24th rated punter) which would make both of them free agents at best. Defensive end Tim Willman, defensive tackle Shamar Stephen, offensive linemen Friend and Tyler Bullock and running back Martin Hyppolite also are in the database. Obviously there's plenty of time for the UConn players to create waves but I would have to think that if the Huskies have a year similar to the one they just had that not too many scouts will be pursuing the veteran offensive linemen. However, if they turn the corner and emerge into a dominant offensive line, that will only help their chances to getting into NFL camps in 2014.
Recent history has shown that UConn's best showings in the NFL draft have come in odd numbered years with four players taken in both the 2009 and 2011 drafts and the five taken this season. That trend could be continuing in 2015.
I would have to think that linebacker Yawin Smallwood will be a sought after prospect with NFL prototype size. Defensive backs Ty-Meer Brown and Byron Jones and receivers Geremy Davis and Shakim Phillips could also emerge into NFL prospects.
Trevardo Williams was absolutely delighted to see former teammates Dwayne Gratz, Sio Moore and Blidi Wreh-Wilson to go in a span of seven picks in the third round last night. He was also not entirely shocked that he had to wait until the fourth round before he was selected by the Houston Texans.
“I knew I was going to be a later draft pick because those guys are prototypes for their positions,” said Williams, a former Bridgeport Central star. “I was happy that they were drafted in the third round because they all deserve it and they worked hard but I knew my name was eventually coming up. I didn't know exactly when fourth round, fifth round but I knew I was going to be there, I believed I was going to be a later draft pick.”
Williams was a defensive end at UConn but projects to be an outside linebacker for the Texans. Houston also drafted an outside linebacker in the third round when former LSU star Sam Montgomery was taken with the 89th pick. In a story on the Texans’ official site, Houston linebackers coach Reggie Herring suggested that outside linebacker Brooks Reed could be shifted to play inside linebacker opening up an opportunity for Montgomery, who was also primarily a defensive end in college, and Williams to vie for a starting outside linebacker spot.
“It does provide us with options to possibly move Brooks Reed inside,” Herring said. “Brooks Reed has played inside for us at time. We feel very comfortable with that move, if that is an option, to get out best 11 on the field.”
Williams said he spoke with the Texans at the NFL combine but never had a sense that Houston was the team that would be drafting him.
“Houston is a pretty good fit for me,” Williams said. “However they can use me, I am willing to get after it.”
Now it is just a matter of waiting and seeing if another UConn player goes in the final couple of rounds with tight end Ryan Griffin and linebacker Jory Johnson the best possibilities to be seventh round selections.
Trevardo Williams taken by Houston Texans in fourth round
Trevardo Williams, UConn's career leader in quarterback sacks, was taken by the Houston Texans with the 124th picks.
Williams becomes the fourth UConn player taken in the draft as Dwayne Gratz (Jacksonville), Sio Moore (Oakland) and Blidi Wreh-Wilson (Tennessee) went within seven picks in the third round last night.
Williams will likely have to move to outside linebacker after being a defensive end at UConn.
This is the third time in the last five years that four UConn players have gone in the draft. In 2009 Donald Brown was taken with the 27th overall pick by Indianapolis to become the first and only UConn player to go in the first round. Darius Butler went 41st to New England while Will Beatty and Cody Brown went 60th and 63rd to the NewYork Giants and Arizona Cardinals. In 2011 Anthony Sherman (Arizona), Lawrence Wilson (Carolina), Jordan Todman (San Diego) and Greg Lloyd (Philadelphia) were all selected.
Dwayne Gratz moved his way up draft boards following the end of his college career and ended up being the first UConn player taken in the 2013 NFL draft.
The first two rounds came and gone and none of UConn's NFL draft hopefuls heard their names called.
However, the hours of breathless anticipation ended in a flurry of activity with Dwayne Gratz, Sio Moore and Blidi Wreh-Wilson going within seven picks of each other early in the third round.
“I was nervous, anxious, everything,” Gratz said. “I was thinking about so much. I didn't where I was going to end up, what’s next chapter in my life. After watching a few cornerbacks got picked up it got even worse but once I got the call everything went away and I was excited.”
If Gratz was excited when his name was called, you could imagine his emotions when he saw Moore and Wreh-Wilson taken in rapid succession.
“It was exciting to see all of my teammates (drafted) because we all put in the hard work playing at UConn for five years and it was great to see them rewarded for their hard work,” Gratz said.
“We all wanted to see each other go high. It didn't matter who went first or who went last. We are all teammates and we all want to see each other do well. It felt good, I am not going to lie to you because I was always the underdog. A lot of people didn't know me, the type of player I was, the type of person I was and being able to be the first one it was an honor.”
When he wasn’t taken by the end of round two, Moore expressed his frustration on Twitter and vowed to play with a chip on his shoulder whenever he did get the call.
Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Sio Moore went five picks apart in the third round in the NFL draft
“It is what I am used to, the whole process just reinforced that,” Moore said of being overlooked. “I’m glad I came to Oakland Raiders, they know they go the best linebacker in the class and I am glad to be a part of that organization."
Moore said he jumped out of his seat when he saw Gratz's name pop up on the television screen just minutes before he realized a lifelong dream by being drafted.
"I did jump out of my chair, he knows what I feel like," Moore said. "He is not a friend, he is not a teammate, he is my brother."
Many draft experts thought Wreh-Wilson would be the first UConn player taken and there was even a thought that he may join Donald Brown (the 27th pick of the 2009 draft) and the only first rounders to come out of UConn. However, Wreh-Wilson's agent told him to expect to go in the range where he was selected.
"My agent gave me a range and it was within the range that he gave me so I kind of knew what was coming my way," Wreh-Wilson said. "When 3 (Moore) and 7 (Gratz) went, I knew 5 was coming soon."
He knew that Tennessee had significant interest in him thanks to a conversation with a Tennessee scout during UConn's pro day.
"Before the pro day I was supposed to have a workout with them and they came to the pro day," Wreh-Wilson said. "While everybody was on the bench, I wasn't on the bench because I did it at the combine but the area scout had told me he was disappointed I didn't work for him because Dwayne and I were supposed to do a workout. He said 'it kind of makes you look bad, this and that.' and I said 'I left like the pro day would be the best opportunity for me to show what I could really do.' They obviously had some concerns that I didn't work out for them but at the end of the day they ended up picking me so I am just glad they did."
Trevardo Williams, UConn's career sacks leader, was also considered a possibility to go in the third round but he will have to wait until Saturday to see which team selects him.
Two other players with Connecticut ties went in the third round. Meriden’s John Jenkins, a defensive tackle out of the University of Georgia, was taken with the 82nd pick by New Orleans while New London’s Jordan Reed, a tight end out of Florida, was taken by Washington with the 85th pick
Anxious couple of days for UConn's NFL draft hopefuls
Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Sio Moore lead the list of former UConn players expected to be taken in the NFL draft.
All the workouts and interviews are in the books, the countless hours of film study are also complete and now it is finally time for the NFL draft.
For a handful of former UConn players it is a couple of days they won't soon forget.
It's a foregone conclusion that cornerbacks Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh-Wilson, linebacker Sio Moore and defensive end Trevardo Williams will heat their names called but the question is which day and by what team.
Donald Brown is the only UConn player to be taken in the first round when the Indianapolis Colts selected him with the 27th overall pick in the 2009. Will he have some company after all 32 first-round picks are announced tonight?
Wreh-Wilson figures to have the best shot of going in the first round although most of the pre-draft databases have him slated as a second rounder. There have been mock drafts with Wreh-Wilson going late in the first round so that means a long night of watching and wondering for the two-time UConn captain as the first round is held tonight. Tomorrow figures to be a special day in UConn football history with as many as four Huskies going by the end of the third round. The NFL draft marathon ends on Saturday with rounds 4-7.
The NFL Network's Mike Mayock, considered by many to be the best NFL draft analyst in the business, has Moore as his top-rated UConn prospect at No. 64 in his final pre-draft Big Board which is two spots ahead of Wreh-Wilson and eight ahead of Gratz.
This draft is intriguing on a variety of levels for the UConn prospects. Of course you have the story line surrounding whether Wreh-Wilson or perhaps even Moore could sneak into the end of the first round and then will four Huskies be gone by the end of day two or will one of them have to wait. Finally, you have players like tight end Ryan Griffin and linebacker Jory Johnson would have a chance to hear their names called late in the draft or at least will get signed as free agents. They could have company as receivers Michael Smith and Nick Williams, tight end John Delahunt and offensive guard Adam Masters are in some draft prospect databases.
Barring a stunning development, there will be a player from Connecticut taken in the first round tonight - kind of. Bjoern Werner out of Florida State is one of the top defensive ends available in the draft and his football career began at Salisbury. As for the former Connecticut public school stars, I would guess that Georgia defensive tackle John Jenkins, who played at Maloney High in Meriden, will be the first one taken. Jenkins' situation is similar to that of Wreh-Wilson as he figures to go either late in the first round or in the second round. Other Connecticut natives to keep an eye on are Florida tight end Jordan Reed out of New London and Rutgers receiver Mark Harrison from Stratford who are projected to go between rounds 3-5.
(Associated Press photo) Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Sio Moore could be taken in second round in the upcoming NFL draft
I reached out to Senior Bowl Executive Director Phil Savage, the former general manager of the Cleveland Browns for a couple of NFL Draft preview stories I am working on and I thought I would share some of his thoughts on the UConn players expected to be taken in the NFL draft.
Savage got to see cornerbacks Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh-Wilson and linebacker Sio Moore as they all played in the Senior Bowl. Defensive end Trevardo Williams was also selected to play in the Senior Bowl before an ankle injury sidelined him but Savage was at the NFL scouting combine so he was able to see Williams put on an impressive show there.
"I was impressed with UConn’s prospects with those two (Gratz and Wreh-Wilson) and then Sio Moore who was a late add to our game and Trevardo Williams fits and he draws interest from teams who runs a 3-4 and the kid from Mobile Jory Johnson who actually played (in the Raycom Classic) who will probably end up being a free agent or a late-round pick at most. They are a good team to watch because they play a pro-style system under Paul (Pasqualoni). Most teams have one defensive back in the whole group that is a possibility of being drafted and they are going to have two corners and maybe even three linebackers too.
(Associated Press photo) Dwayne Gratz, seen during the NFL combine, is one of four former UConn players who could be taken in the first four rounds in the NFL draft.
"I thought Sio really elevated himself. He was a late addition to the game. He came in, was vocal, played with a lot of energy and really showed up in the game itself. He filled up the stat line. There were times when the tape of the season doesn’t match up with what we saw at the Senior Bowl practices and in the game. The positive is he definitely has the capability and I think he can fit in either scheme. I think he is scheme friendly as a 4-3 Mike (middle linebacker) or Will (weakside linebacker) or in a 3-4. I personally don’t see him as a pass rusher. I think he is a better blitzer than rusher but he will play on special teams and I think he is a good worthwhile prospect and I would venture to guess somewhere in the third or fourth round area as well based on what he did at the Senior Bowl and he had a good combine too, he tested well there. The tapes didn’t always reveal the ability he had but at the combine he stood out.
"He is 240 so he is big enough to play inside the box, he has enough quickness to blitz, he uses his hands well and he seems to have a nose for the ball. He has a knack for showing up around the ball and I think he drew quite a bit of attention this spring."
Williams was only able to go through one day's worth of drills before his ankle injury sidelined him. Ironically, Moore was brought in to take his spot on the roster.
"Unfortunately for him, he came in and had a little bit of a bum ankle before he got here and was only able to practice one day," Savage said. "I did watch a bit of tape on him during the season. He plays defensive end there and I think he projects well as a 3-4 outside linebacker. I don’t think he can be a full time defensive end in the NFL, he is not big enough but as a 3-4 outside backer he’s got some good qualities. He has good acceleration, good first step off the edge, he plays hard especially when he gets a whiff of the quarterback he seems to be able to finish the deal. I am not sure how he has worked out this offseason. I wasn’t privy to how his workouts went in terms of position drills went as an on his feet linebacker but based on his pass rush skill and the fact that he does look like he moves around pretty well I would think that he is going to be a mid-round guy for somebody looking for a 3-4 outside backer that might be a good developmental candidate."
Savage sees Wreh-Wilson as the better prospect among the two UConn corners although he is impressed with Gratz as well.
"I think with Blidi he has height, he has long arms, I think he is a good athlete but I think at times he can get a little leggy in terms of his change of direction. He is going to be attractive to those teams looking for the taller corner with long arms. My impression of him based on conversations with scouts in the league is that he is somewhere in the second or third round area. I know in some of the mock drafts, at least early on, they were putting him in the first round but I don’t think he is going to go in the first round. I think he is more of a second-round corner that will play on the outside. I don’t think he is necessarily a nickel or slot corner, I think he is more of an outside, cover 2 zone style corner.
"Dwayne Gratz he is physically built, he has some explosiveness in his body. For a vertical standpoint, he is a little tight in terms of the change of direction stuff. The good news is he is big enough and physical enough of being a safety if it doesn’t turn out at corner. I think he is another prospect who fits a bigger corner who plays predominantly cover two. He is a willing run supporter. He is a good prospect. I think he is rated a little lower than Blidi based on the conversations I’ve had and based what he did in the Senior Bowl game because he is a little tighter athletically. I think he is probably a third or fourth round."
Finally, I asked him about Meriden's John Jenkins, a defensive tackle out of Georgia, who could very well be the top Connecticut native taken in the draft.
"I like John," Savage said. "I went during training camp in August and watched all of their practice reps and pass rush because Georgia would take him out when it was a passing situation his junior year and even a lot his senior year. He was kind of an early down run defender and when I watched those practice videos, the one on ones in the pass rush and based on what he did at the Senior Bowl in the pass rush drill, I think he has a chance and I think he offers more than maybe what he has gotten credit for by some of the scouts. An obvious comparison is Terrence Cody who played at Alabama and ended up in the second round to the Ravens (with the 57th pick in the 2010 draft). I do the broadcasts for Alabama and I know Cody well but personally I like John Jenkins more. I think he is a better athlete, I think he has a better body. I think he gives you more potential in pass rush. I think he will go a little earlier than that (57th pick). I will be disappointed if he doesn’t. He is an ideal 3-4 nose candidate."
(Associated Press photo) Ryan Griffin, seen making a catch against South Florida as a senior, moved up 10 spots to be rated as the No. 17 tight end by the NFL Draft Bible site.
The NFL Draft Bible site released its final "Big Board" for the upcoming NFL draft and of the 10 UConn products on the list nobody made a bigger jump than Ryan Griffin who moved up 10 spots and was ranked as the 17th best tight end in the draft. Grffin's jump enabled him to go from being a projected free agent to be a seventh rounder.
Sio Moore is the highest rated UConn player as he is the No. 5 outside linebacker (up one spot from the most recent list) and Adam Masters moved from No. 83 to 81 among offensive guards.
Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Trevardo Williams held steady as they came in as the No. 8 cornerback and No. 9 outside linebacker while Dwayne Gratz fell two spots to the No. 16 CB and receivers Michael Smith (from 78 to 80) and Nick Williams (112 to 113) fell slightly.
Among the non-UConn in-state natives, the player to make the biggest jump going from being the No. 20 to No. 15 wide receiver.
The site ranks players by position and projects which round the player will go in. Moore leads the way as a projected second rounder, Williams and Wreh-Wilson are second or third rounders with Gratz going in the fourth round.
The NFL Network's Mike Mayock released his top 100 prospects recently and three Huskies made the list.
Moore checks in at No. 64, two spots ahead of Wreh-Wilson with Gratz rated No. 72 overall. Georgia defensive tackle John Jenkins out of Georgia is rated as a potential second-round pick by the NFL Draft Bible site and is Mayock's No. 71 overall prospect.
(Associated Press photo) Blidi Wreh-Wilson (left) and Sio Moore are both projected to be second-round selections in the NFL Draft Bible database which was released on Thursday.
The list of more than 1,500 players is done by position. Sio Moore, who was the No. 6 outside linebacker Blidi Wreh-Wilson (No. 8 CB) and Trevardo Williams (No. 9 OLB) were the only UConn products to crack the top 10 at their position. A total of 10 Huskies are on the list (actually the number is 11 but Jesse Joseph is listed as the No. 69 defensive end and he is still a member of the Huskies).
Here's the list: Rank Player Position Projected round
6 Sio Moore OLB 2
8 Blidi Wreh-Wilson CB 2
9 Trevardo Williams OLB 2/3
14 Dwayne Gratz CB 2/3
27 Ryan Griffin TE FA
45 Jory Johnson OLB FA
68 John Delahunt TE FA
78 Michael Smith WR FA
83 Adam Masters OG FA
112 Nick Williams WR FA
Also listed is former UConn safety Jerome Junior is the No. 50 listed strong safety, the University of New Haven has three players listed as Ryan Osiecki is the 68th quarterback, Kameel Lashley is the 70th rated tight end and Jason Thompson is 159th at the wide receiver position. New Haven native Jeremy Moore out of Georgetown is the 95th rated cornerback sack, Meriden's John Jenkins out of Georgia is No. 5 defensive tackle while Rutgers receiver Mark Harrison out of Stratford is 20th at his position.
(Associated Press photo) Former UConn teammates Nick Williams and Sio Moore share a laugh during a break at Wednesday's Pro Day at UConn.
There's no question who the headliners are among the current group of former UConn stars taking part in pre-draft preparations.
There are some who believe that comeback Blidi Wreh-Wilson may have run his way into first-round consideration after a pair of impressive 40-yard dashes at UConn's Pro Day on Wednesday and linebacker Sio Moore have been soaring up the draft boards with eye-opening efforts in post-season all-star game. I have seen Dwayne Gratz rated higher among corners than Wreh-Wilson and Trevardo Williams certainly has the production as UConn's career sacks leader and dazzled at the NFL combine.
Likely the majority of the 29 teams represented at the NFL timing day were lured by the aforementioned quartet who all had scintillating efforts at the NFL combine. However, the Pro Day was a chance for some of the other Huskies to show what they could do.
Receivers Nick Williams and Michael Smith, linebacker Jory Johnson, offensive lineman Adam Masters and tight end Ryan Griffin were among the under the radar prospects who should at least be on the radar of the teams who made the trip to Storrs.
"I think a lot of these guys have long careers ahead of them and I am really excited for them," Nick Williams said.
"I think we will have a few guys drafted and we will have a couple of guys in camps. It just shows that UConn 10 years ago, that wasn’t the case and now you can see that you can make the professional ranks out of UConn and it is all a cycle."
While Gratz, Moore, Trevardo Williams and Wreh-Wilson already posted the numbers to catch the attention of all the NFL teams regardless of what happened on Wednesday, that was not the case for their former UConn teammates.
"I woke up this morning and said this is really my opportunity to show so I wanted to come out here and have a good day. I think I did pretty well in the weight room and with some other stuff," Johnson said. "Hopefully I did as well as I could, I have been planning for this for a few months. It was great being out there with those guys, they did a great job at the combine and we really showed what kind of players we had.
"I've been very busy, it's a lot of hard work. A lot of us were real dedicated, we want this so bad so we put a lot of work into it. You saw it (Wednesday) and you saw it at the combine.
"It has been kind of shocking. I heard a lot of scouts were going to be here but then you see all of these guys out here and it is not every day that this many teams come to UConn. It was great. There are a lot of guys out here who didn’t get to go (to the combine or all-star games) so it was good to show. I was real nervous to get out here and I am relieved that it is over, show what I can do and it is kind of out of my hands right now."
While the main objective was to dazzle the NFL scouts on hand, Wednesday's event brought out plenty of emotions as it is the last time UConn football's Class of 2012 will share a football field together.
"It is fun being back with the guys, just be loose and have fun even though there is some pressure on us, it is fun being back," Griffin said. "It is a good opportunity to show what we’ve got."
Maybe it is because this was my first time at UConn's Pro Day and I was accustomed to having another three or four NFL teams at Yale's NFL timing day over the last few years, but I came away extremely impressed with what I saw today.
(Associated Press photo) Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Sio Moore could be the first two UConn players taken in April's NFL draft.
By the count of us media folks, the only teams not sending a scout, coach or player personnel rep to Storrs were Dallas (which is ironically the place head coach Paul Pasqualoni was working when he accepted the UConn job), Minnesota and Washington. Obviously the appearance of New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick created quite the stir but most of the waves were made by the Huskies.
The NFL combine stars (Dwayne Gratz, Sio Moore, Trevardo Williams and Blidi Wreh-Wilson) only did a select few drills because they posted such spectacular numbers at the NFL combine.
Wreh-Wilson did cause a few jaws to drop by running the 40 under 4.4 seconds according to a few of the unofficial times. His two 40s at the combine were so far apart that the scouts wanted him to show he had the elite speed necessary for a cornerback to be drafted in the first or second round.
"I just wanted to put a stamp on it," Wreh-Wilson said. "At the combine my hand time was a 4.47 and my second one wasn’t anything that I even wanted to talk about. The last two weeks, I went home for a couple of days and trained and I really wanted to put a stamp on it and show how fast I really am so there are no question marks."
The news was not as good for Trevardo Williams who was battling ankle, groin and back issues which flared up while doing the agility drills like the 3-cone drill and 60-yard shuttle.
"I gave them everything that I had and I just hope they appreciated it," Williams said. "I was a little concerned about how it was going to affect me especially after the shuttle and kind of tweaked it and I knew right them it wasn’t going to be a good run."
With UConn's top four pro prospects didn't take part in too many drills, that opened up a chance for some of the under the radar prospects to shine.
Nobody seemed to take advantage of that more than receiver Nick Williams as his strong day was highlighted by a 37-inch effort in the vertical jump.
Williams is better known as a dynamic punt and kickoff returner but if he is to make it in the NFL, he will need to do so at a slot receiver as well. The good news is that players like Davone Bess and Danny Amendola have done quite nicely for themselves as NFL slot receivers even though they went undrafted.
"I am not trail blazing right now, guys who are like me have been successful; guys who don’t run 4.3 have gone onto the NFL and have had great careers so you just have to put your mind to it, believe and hopefully you make the most of your opportunity," Williams said.
The day started with offensive guard Adam Masters and defensive tackle Ryan Wirth doing 33 reps at 225 pounds in the bench press.
Tight end Ryan Griffin also did pretty well for himself including a vertical jump of 34.5.
"I just wanted to prove that I deserved a shot at the combine and I deserve a shot in the league," Griffin said. "I feel like I did that. I could have done a little better in some of the areas but overall I am pretty happy with how I performed. I am going to get a shot whether I just sign in camp and hopefully I will hear my name called but either way you have to perform."
It made for a special day for this senior class which has endured some ups and downs over the years.
Tight ends Ryan Griffin and John Delahunt work out during UConn's Pro Day
"I think we will have a few guys drafted and we will have a couple of guys in camps," Nick Williams said. "It just shows that UConn 10 years ago, that wasn’t the case and now you can see that you can make the professional ranks out of UConn and it is all a cycle. You don’t realize it but it is marketing for the program and even Johnny Mac (quarterback Johnny McEntee) when he makes a trick-shot video it gets five million views and that is five million people seeing the UConn facility so the publicity is a great thing for the program and to see those guys go out and perform on the stage and have (NFL Network drat guru) Mike Mayock and all of those guys talking up the program."
I still have to finish transcribing my tape, especially with the interviews with Moore and Jory Johnson so I will have more at some point but one last thing I found out today is that the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL already own tight end John Delahunt's rights so if the NFL doesn't come calling, the Ottawa native could find a home north of the border.
"I’ve talked to them and told them I was going to come down and give the NFL a try and they supported me in that and I will just see what happens after today," Delahunt said.
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