#StanfordNFL: Season Preview#StanfordNFL: Season Preview
Football

#StanfordNFL: Season Preview

#StanfordNFL: Season Preview

Henry Anderson • DE • Indianapolis Colts • Second season • @HenryAnderson91

Anderson was drafted in the third round (93rd overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. His outstanding rookie season was cut short with an injury in Week 9, but he made a league-wide impression in his limited action. Entering Week 9, Pro Football Focus ranked Anderson as the league's second-best rookie behind Buffalo's Ronald Darby. Among the league's 34 rookie interior defenders, Anderson carried the highest PFF rating ( 10.2), well ahead of second-place Leonard Williams ( 6.2) at the time. Anderson has re-joined the Colts for practice but is doubtful to play in Week 1.


Johnson Bademosi • CB/ST • Detroit Lions • Fifth season • @J_Bademosi24

Bademosi signed a two-year, $4.5 million contract with the Detroit Lions after spending his first four seasons in the league with Cleveland. In five NFL seasons, he has accrued 71 tackles in 62 games played, while establishing himself as one of the premier special-teamers in the NFL. In 2015, Bademosi led the league with 17 special teams tackles.


Doug Baldwin • WR • Seattle Seahawks • Sixth season • @DougBaldwinJr

An undrafted free agent out of Stanford in 2011, Baldwin's meteoric rise in the NFL was further illustrated with a four-year, $46 million extension this offseason. Pro Football Focus' seventh-rated wide receiver in 2015, Baldwin led all NFL players with 14 receiving touchdowns, adding 78 catches and 1,069 yards to outshine prized acquisition Jimmy Graham, who was oft-injured.

David DeCastro • G • Pittsburgh Steelers • Fifth season

DeCastro played a mammoth 1,233 snaps in 2015, the third-most of any guard in the NFL, en route to an All-Pro first team selection by the Associated Press. Pittsburgh picked up DeCastro's $8 million option for 2016, and is said to be seeking a long-term deal for the former unanimous All-American out of Stanford. The 24th overall pick in 2012 and the first guard selected in his class, DeCastro has played in 51 career NFL games, starting 50.

Jim Dray • TE • Buffalo Bills • Seventh season

Jim Dray has quietly been a durable and consistent option at tight end for the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns over six NFL seasons. In 87 career games, Dray has 36 starts and 56 catches for 605 yards and a touchdown. He joins Buffalo as the second tight end on the depth chart, expected to contribute heavily in the run game.

Zach Ertz • TE • Philadelphia Eagles • Fourth season • @ZErtz_86

A unanimous All-American at Stanford in 2011, Ertz's first three years in the league impressed Philadelphia enough to give him a five-year, $42 million extension in January. In 2015, he compiled 75 catches for 853 yards and two touchdowns while carrying multiple injuries. Finally healthy for his final four games, Ertz put up 450 yards on 35 catches to finish the season as Pro Football Focus' fourth-rated tight end. New Eagles coach Doug Pederson, who nursed the rise of Travis Kelce in Kansas City, is expected to give Ertz an even bigger role in the offense for 2016.

Coby Fleener • TE • New Orleans Saints • Fifth season • @Coby

A teammate of Andrew Luck for the past seven seasons (college and NFL), Fleener took a change of scenery by signing a five-year, $36 million contract with New Orleans. Fleener was picked 34th overall by Indianapolis in the 2012 draft alongside his Stanford teammate Luck, amassing 183 catches for 2,154 yards and 17 touchdowns in four seasons with the Colts. He enters a tight end-heavy offense which has netted productive tight ends Jimmy Graham and Benjamin Watson over the past several seasons.

Cameron Fleming • TE • New England Patriots • Third season • @cammyjfresh

One of four tackles to make New England's roster, Fleming will provide cover at both right and left tackle to start the season. In each of his first two seasons, Fleming earned a positive run blocking grade from Pro Football Focus over 19 total games and nine starts.

Joshua Garnett • G • San Francisco 49ers • First season • @IamJoshG

The 2015 Outland Trophy winner was picked 28th overall in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Heading into Week 1, Garnett will likely be behind veterans Zane Beadles Anthony Davis on the depth chart at guard. After missing more than 20 spring practices while finishing his degree at Stanford, Garnett is playing catch-up, but opportunities lie ahead for the increasingly confident rookie.

Ryan Hewitt • TE/FB • Cincinnati Bengals • Third season • @Huey85

In a league where fullbacks are a rarity, Hewitt earned himself a three-year, $7.5 million contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals this past offseason, including $1.5 million guaranteed. In his first two NFL seasons, Hewitt established himself as a reliable run-blocker with tremendous upside, prompting the Bengals to prioritize his stay. 

Austin Hooper • TE • Atlanta Falcons • First season • @AustinHooper18

With only Jacob Tamme ahead of him on the depth chart, Hooper has a chance to make a significant impact as a rookie in Atlanta. Hooper's preseason was a mixed bag, but the third-rounder out of Stanford enters an offense which badly struggled in the red zone in 2015.

Andrew Luck • QB • Indianapolis Colts • Fifth season • @ALBookClub

In some of the biggest news of the NFL offseason, former No. 1 overall pick in 2012 Andrew Luck signed a mammoth six-year, $140 million extension which includes $87 million in guaranteed money, making him the league's highest-paid player. Despite missing much of last season with various injuries, Luck's status as an elite play caller and franchise quarterback remains unchanged.

Blake Martinez • ILB • Green Bay Packers • First season • @Big__Blake50

Selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Martinez has been making positive impressions on the Green Bay Packers all summer. Rarely does a rookie get to wear the on-field headset, but that's exactly what the Packers have tried out on Martinez, a natural leader during his time on The Farm. Last season, Martinez was a captain for the Rose Bowl-winning Cardinal, and that leadership is evident to Packers' defensive coordinator, Dom Capers.

"I think he's an attention-to-detail guy," Capers said. "If he doesn't know, he's going to ask. There's going to be errors because it's the first time he's seen a lot of things, but he normally doesn't make the same error twice."

Josh Mauro • DE/DL • Arizona Cardinals • Third season • @JustJoshin90

This time of year, it is always worth remembering that being cut doesn't mean the end of the road in the NFL -- just ask Josh Mauro. Mauro was cut by Pittsburgh after signing as an undrafted free agent, but Arizona scooped him up soon after. In 2015, his second NFL season, Mauro firmly established himself as a rotation player in the Cardinals' stout defense, finishing the season with 15 tackles, one sack, one pass defended, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. 

Ty Montgomery • WR/KR • Green Bay Packers • Second season • @TyMontgomery2

Montgomery is playing catch-up in his second NFL season after missing the final 10 regular-season games of 2015 for Green Bay. In his six NFL games, Montgomery has 15 catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns, while serving as the Packers' primary kick returner. The 2013 All-American at Stanford made the 2016 roster and is expected to provide a big-play threat for the Packers this season.

Kyle Murphy • T • Green Bay Packers • First season • @KyleMurphy78

Murphy made Green Bay's 53-man roster, and is expected to provide cover for right tackle Bryan Bulaga. Picked in the sixth round (200th overall), Murphy was a two-time first-team All-Pac-12 selection at Stanford.

Trent Murphy • DE/OLB • Washington Redskins • Third season • @TMurphy_93

It was an unpredictable offseason for Murphy, who was originally told he would be playing at defensive end to help strengthen Washington's defensive line. An injury to Junior Gallette forced coach Jay Gruden's hand, moving Murphy back to outside linebacker, where he started 14 games in 2015. Murphy detailed his positional uncertainty in his offseason blog.

David Parry • DT/NG • Indianapolis Colts • Second season • @DavidParry58

Picked in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Parry was a pleasant surprise for Indianapolis last season, starting all 16 games and recording 31 tackles and a sack. Parry is expected to start again in 2016, with former Stanford teammates Andrew Luck and Henry Anderson also returning from injury.

Andrus Peat • T/G • New Orleans Saints • Second season • @AndrusPeat

Peat, the 13th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, started eight games for New Orleans last season at both guard and tackle. An injury in Week 6 hampered his snap count, but the 2014 Morris Trophy winner gained valuable experience in his rookie year. This season, head coach Sean Payton says he may shift Peat to left guard, where he has shown potential.

Jordan Richards • S • New England Patriots • Second season

Richards was picked 64th overall in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, and later that summer joined the Patriots after graduating from. Nonetheless, he impressed the coaching staff enough to make it into 14 games, making 20 tackles and forcing a fumble. Jordan Richards continues to impress four-time Super Bowl winning coach Bill Belichick. That bodes well for both parties, since starting safety Devin McCourty's cap hit will be around $10 million in 2017.

Brennan Scarlett • OLB/DE • Houston Texans • First season @BScarlett17

The story of the preseason for Stanford's NFL players was undoubtedly Brennan Scarlett, who was signed by Houston as an undrafted free agent. Despite missing half of training camp with a hamstring injury, Scarlett made a lasting impact in three preseason games, racking up nine tackles, two sacks, three tackles for a loss and a forced fumble.

Richard Sherman • CB • Seattle Seahawks • Sixth season @R_Sherman25

Selected 154th overall by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft, few players have had the impact of Richard Sherman over the past five seasons. No one has more interceptions over that period (26) than Sherman, who is tied for seventh in career picks among active players. He has been named to three Pro Bowls and has earned three first-team All-Pro selections, also helping Seattle win Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos. In 2014, Sherman's work was rewarded with a four-year, $56 million extension, making him the highest-paid cornerback in the league at the time.

Stepfan Taylor • RB/ST • Arizona Cardinals • Fourth season • @KULABAFI

Taylor made the Arizona roster as the Cardinals' fourth-choice running back behind David Johnson, Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington. Stanford's all-time leader in rushing yards and touchdowns has 116 career carries for 381 yards and one touchdown in the NFL. Taylor's impact goes far beyond the offense, however, having established himself as a top special teamer in the NFC.

Michael Thomas • S • Miami Dolphins • Fourth season • @Michael31Thomas

Thomas signed a one-year, $675,000 contract to stay in Miami for another season after making Pro Football Focus' All-NFL team for the second consecutive season as a special teamer. The 2015 season marked a career campaign for Thomas, who finished with 85 tackles in 13 starts. Over the Dolphins' last six games, Thomas played at least 85 percent of defensive snaps all but once.

Levine Toilolo • TE • Atlanta Falcons • Fourth season • @LevineToilolo

Now in his fourth NFL season, Toilolo made Atlanta's roster as the third tight end behind Jacob Tamme and fellow former Cardinal standout Austin Hooper. Over his first three seasons, Toilolo has amassed 49 catches for 337 yards and four touchdowns. Toilolo will be an unrestricted free agent entering 2017 after his four-year rookie deal with Atlanta expires.

Practice Squad & Injured Reserve

Devon Cajuste • WR • Green Bay Packers • First season • @devoncajuste

After being cut by San Francisco, Cajuste was quickly snatched up by Green Bay, who already have Stanford products Ty Montgomery, Kyle Murphy and Blake Martinez in the mix. Cajuste's combine performance and sheer athleticism will likely keep him in conversation to make NFL rosters for years to come.

Alex Carter • CB • Detroit Lions • Second season • @AlexCarter

Due to several injuries, Carter's rookie season was never fully realized in Detroit. His progress, however, is undeniable, with the Lions coaching staff keen on keeping him around the franchise on the practice squad.

Tyler Gaffney • RB • New England Patriots • Third season

Gaffney was released by New England over the weekend, but after clearing waivers was placed on injured reserve to start the season. Gaffney's chances of making the team were slim before an injury at the end of preseason, but in New England, opportunity arises very suddenly, especially for running backs.

Ben Gardner • DE • San Diego Chargers • Second season • @BennyG49

The Chargers liked what they saw out of Gardner enough to sign him to their practice squad. Over his last two preseason appearances, Gardner accumulated an overall 3.6 Pro Football Focus rating, including 4.1 in pass rushing.

Kevin Hogan • QB • Cleveland Browns • First season • @KHoagie8

Hogan was picked in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. After being released by the Chiefs, Hogan was signed to the Cleveland Browns' practice squad, re-uniting with former Stanford offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton.

Ed Reynolds • S • Philadelphia Eagles • Second season

Reynolds was originally picked in the fifth round (162nd overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles, but was released following the 2016 preseason. Reynolds was signed to Cleveland's practice squad, bringing valuable NFL experience to a team in the process of rebuilding. In the final six games of 2015, Reynolds made three starts, recording 20 tackles and a game-winning interception against Buffalo.

Aziz Shittu • DE • Philadelphia Eagles • First season •@AzizShittu

Shittu was a force to be reckoned with in the 2016 preseason for Philadelphia, putting up a 3.9 pass rushing grade, according to Pro Football Focus. His exploits were enough for the undrafted free agent to secure a spot on the Eagles' practice squad.

Shayne Skov • LB • San Francisco 49ers • Second season • @ShayneSkov

Skov led all NFL linebackers with 12 defensive stops in the preseason for San Francisco, where he will start the season on the practice squad. He finished the preseason with a 7.7 Pro Football Focus grade, including 3.6 against the run and 3.3 in pass coverage. 

David Yankey • G • Carolina Panthers • Third season • @papa_yank

Yankey was picked in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, but now plies his trade with Carolina's practice squad. Yankey, a two-time consensus All-American at Stanford, signed a futures contract with Carolina in January.