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Football

#StanfordNFL: Season Recap

#StanfordNFL: Season Recap

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

Anderson's sophomore season was limited due to his recovery from an ACL tear in 2015 and a Week 6 injury at Houston, which kept him out until Week 11. However, Anderson's play reminded everyone why the Colts selected him in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, finishing with the 33rd-best Pro Football Focus season grade (77.0) out of 127 eligible defensive linemen. He finished the season with 11 run stops, ­four quarterback hits, two passes defended and 11 quarterback hurries. So far in his two-year NFL career, Anderson has been one of the better run defenders in the league when healthy.


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

Bademosi helped Detroit to a 9-7 record and a playoff berth in his first season with the Lions after inking a two-year, $4.5 million contract last offseason, making him among the highest-paid special teamers in the league. His value was on display due to multiple injuries to starting corner Darius Slay, whom Bademosi filled in for when needed. This season, he set career highs in tackles (16) and passes defended (5) while making his first career interception in Week 8 at Houston. According to PFF, Detroit's cumulative +52.5 rating on special teams was the fourth highest in the league. 


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

Doug Baldwin showed everyone why Seattle invested in him this past offseason with a four-year, $46 million contract -- including $24.5 million guaranteed. The sixth-year receiver set career-highs in targets (125), receptions (94) and yards (1,128), catching seven touchdowns and throwing for another. He finished the season as PFF's seventh-best receiver (87.0) out of 114 eligible players while playing 83.8 percent of Seattle's offensive snaps.

Baldwin also added two touchdowns to bring his postseason career total to six, while his 94 catches tied Bobby Engram's franchise record from 2007. Since the start of the 2015 season, Russell Wilson has a 75 percent completion rate with 21 touchdowns and a 126.3 passer rating when targeting the former undrafted free agent out of Stanford.

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

Cajuste signed with Green Bay's practice squad on Sept. 7 following a training camp stint with the team. Rated as one of the most athletic receivers at the 2016 combine, Cajuste's size makes him a viable option for NFL teams looking for a red zone target.

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

After a 2015 rookie season marred by injuries and setbacks, Carter earned a spot on Detroit's 53-man roster for Weeks 16 and 17 in 2016, appearing on four special teams snaps against Dallas in Week 16. The move happened 20 months after Carter was selected by the Lions in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Carter will benefit from a full, healthy offseason heading into his third season as a pro.

David DeCastro • G • Pittsburgh Steelers • Fifth season

One year after signing a five-year, $50 million extension to stay in Pittsburgh, DeCastro proved why the Steelers invested so heavily in him. His regular season matchups included Ndamukong Suh, Chris Jones, Geno Atkins, Fletcher Cox, Leonard Williams, Damon Harrison, Danny Shelton, Kyle Williams and Chris Baker, all of whom finished in the top 20 of PFF's defensive lineman grading (127 eligible players).

DeCastro's 86.6 regular-season grade from PFF ranked ninth among guards, helping Pittsburgh achieve the sixth-best run blocking grade in the NFL from PFF. Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown's contract situations will be heavily discussed this offseason, but DeCastro and virtually all of the Steelers' linemen are there to stay.

Jim Dray • TE • Buffalo Bills • Seventh season

Dray appeared in six contests with Buffalo and San Francisco in the 2016 regular season, making two starts. The seventh-year tight end played 60 offensive snaps on the season.

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

Ertz battled an early-season injury to appear in 14 games for the 7-9 Philadelphia Eagles, catching 78 balls for 816 yards and four touchdowns. Midway through the campaign, Ertz became a favorite target of rookie quarterback Carson Wentz – from Weeks 9-17, Ertz caught 63 passes for 666 yards and four touchdowns, including a two-touchdown performance in Week 17 against Dallas.

Ertz also led the league in converted fourth-down receptions (4) after signing a five-year, $42.5 million contract this past offseason. His 75.0 PFF grade was 18th in the NFL out of 63 eligible tight ends. Expect chemistry between Ertz and Wentz to solidify in the first full offseason for the Eagles' young quarterback.

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

Fleener finished his first season in New Orleans -- and the first in seven years without Andrew Luck at quarterback -- with 50 receptions for 631 yards and three touchdowns. In a Week 6 win against Carolina, he became the first tight end since Rob Gronkowski in 2011 to score a rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game. Fleener was solid in the first year of his five-year, $36 million contract, and a second offseason with All-Pro quarterback Drew Brees should improve his play in 2017.

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

Fleming helped New England win Super Bowl LI after appearing on 26 percent of the team's offensive snaps in the regular season. Primarily used as an extra lineman on running downs, Fleming made one start each at left tackle and right tackle, finishing the season with a respectable 71.9 grade from PFF. The owner of two Super Bowl rings in three NFL seasons, Fleming is a restricted free agent heading into 2017.

Tyler Gaffney • RB • New England Patriots • Third season

Gaffney won his second Super Bowl ring as a member of the New England Patriots this past season, playing a vital role on the scout team as the opposition running back. Head coach Bill Belichick had high praise for Gaffney, who was virtually a punching bag in practice for the turnover-hungry New England defense.

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

Gardner signed with San Diego's practice squad in 2015 before his release in September of 2016. Hours later, the Chargers signed him to the practice squad, but released him in October. Gardner enters 2017 as a free agent.

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

Garnett started 11 games with 12 total appearances in his rookie season with the 2-14 San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers' 2016 first-round pick made the transition from left guard to right guard, and expects to be the starter at right guard for recently hired head coach Kyle Shanahan.

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

Hewitt appeared in every contest for Cincinnati, making 11 starts with two catches for 13 yards. With the Bengals falling behind in almost every game, Hewitt was limited to 20 percent of offensive snaps. Due to start a three-year, $7.5 million contract in 2017, expect the Bengals to find more playing time for Hewitt, who is one of the highest paid fullbacks in football.

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

Hogan was selected in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by Kansas City before ending up in Cleveland after the Chiefs cut ties in September. He made waves in his Week 7 NFL debut, rushing for 104 yards (a single game league-high for a quarterback at the time) on seven attempts with one touchdown, adding 100 passing yards on 12-of-24 passing. Hogan appeared in four games, finishing the season 14 of 26 for 104 yards passing with 105 rushing yards on eight carries. Hogan will enter 2017 as Cleveland's third quarterback behind Robert Griffin III and Cody Kessler.

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

After beginning the season as a reserve behind veteran tight end Jacob Tamme, Hooper emerged following a Week 7 injury to Tamme. Appearing on 47 percent of Atlanta's offensive snaps in 2016, Hooper finished the season with 19 catches for 271 yards and three touchdowns, including one at Levi's Stadium, where he helped Stanford win the 2015 Pac-12 Championship Game.

Hooper's 72.5 PFF grade in the regular season ranked 23rd among 63 eligible tight ends, and was second among rookies behind Hunter Henry. Hooper's impressive rookie campaign was punctuated by a touchdown in Super Bowl LI, and he is likely to be integral to Atlanta's offense for years to come.

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

Luck was a candidate for NFL Comeback Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player with a career season in 2016, despite Indianapolis' 8-8 record. Luck finished the season with an overall 92.4 grade from PFF, behind only Aaron Rodgers (93.3), league MVP Matt Ryan (93.5) and five-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady (99.3). He totaled 4,240 passing yards with a 63.5 completion percentage, throwing 31 touchdowns and 13 interceptions for a 96.4 quarterback rating.

Luck added two rushing touchdowns on 341 ground yards while missing just one game due to injury after missing nine in 2015, and was the most pressured quarterback in the NFL (44.4 percent of drop backs). The Colts will continue to structure their franchise around Luck, who is entering year two of a five-year, $122 million extension he signed in 2016.

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

Green Bay's fourth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft started nine games in 13 appearances, capping an impressive rookie season by helping the Packers reach the NFC Championship Game. He finished the regular season with 69 tackles, one interception, four passes defended and one sack while earning a 75.7 grade against the run from PFF, the 27th-best grade for an inside linebacker. A knee injury in Week 11 kept Martinez out for three weeks, but a speedy recovery ensured his participation in the playoffs.

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

Mauro was one of Arizona's first contract extensions this offseason after making 13 starts in 15 appearances for the Cardinals last season. According to PFF, Mauro's cumulative +6.1 grade against the run ranked 11th among 4-3 defensive ends for the regular season. He doubled his career high in tackles (32), also setting career marks in run stops (22) and quarterback hurries (5). According to PFF, Arizona's defense ranked second in the NFL behind only the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots.

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

After an injury-shortened rookie season, Montgomery established himself as Green Bay's lead tailback, helping the team win eight games in a row before falling to Atlanta in the NFC Championship Game. Starting with a 60-yard performance on nine carries in Week 7, Montgomery became an indispensable part of the Packers' offense, finishing the season with 77 carries for 457 yards (5.9 average) and three touchdowns, and 44 receptions for 348 yards. He also averaged an absurd 5.1 yards after contact per attempt, breaking 18 tackles on the year with a 116.4 elusive rating, the highest of any running back.

His biggest output game in Week 15, a 162-yard performance on 16 carries with two rushing touchdowns. With the release of James Starks and pending free agency of Eddy Lacy, Montgomery, whose rookie contract spans two more seasons, appears to be the Packers main man in the backfield moving forward.

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

Murphy appeared in three games for Green Bay, which finished the regular season 10-6 before falling to Atlanta in the NFC Championship Game. The rookie fifth rounder saw little opportunity behind stalwart offensive tackles David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga. Murphy's four-year, $2.5 million rookie contract runs through 2020.

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

Murphy had a breakout season for the 8-7-1 Redskins, setting career marks in tackles (47), sacks (nine), quarterback hits (15), quarterback hurries (30) and run stops (24). He appeared on 61 percent of Washington's defensive snaps after a whirlwind offseason in which he switched positions twice. Between Murphy and Ryan Kerrigan, the Redskins were one of two teams to have a pair of players with at least eight sacks. Out of 109 eligible edge defenders, Murphy's 81.7 season grade from PFF ranked 23rd in the league. With his rookie deal set to expire after the 2017 season, continued production from Murphy could net him a big payday next offseason.

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

Parry started all 16 games for the second consecutive season, improving in virtually every statistical category from his rookie season. He set new career highs in sacks (3), quarterback hits (5), hurries (3), tackles (39) and run stops (28). He left Week 17 with a strained pectoral muscle, but the injury should not keep him out of any offseason activities. Indianapolis will look to improve its defense, which ranked dead last in PFF's team rankings, but Parry and fellow former-Cardinal Henry Anderson will most certainly be valued in Indianapolis next season.

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

Peat started six games at left guard and 10 at left tackle for New Orleans in 2016, covering for starting left tackle Terron Armstead when needed. With Armstead placed on injured reserve for the last three weeks of the season, Peat stepped in and surrendered no sacks, one quarterback hurry and two quarterback hits at left tackle. Two seasons into the league, Peat has proven that he can hold his own at multiple positions across the offensive line and will be a presence in the league for seasons to come.

Ed Reynolds • S • Cleveland Browns • Third season

Few players saw more field time than Ed Reynolds in the second half of the season. Signed by Cleveland prior to Week 7, Reynolds appeared on 91 percent of the Browns' defensive snaps over the final eight games, earning a respectable 78.4 grade from PFF during that time, including an 85.9 clip against the run, 11th-best in the league out of 87 eligible safeties. He finished the season with 43 tackles, one sack, one pass defended, three quarterback hits and 10 run stops. He is under contract in Cleveland for one more season, and a strong 2017 could net the former Cardinal All-American a nice payday in 2018.

Jordan Richards • S • New England Patriots • Second season

Richards appeared in 11 games for the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots, finishing the season with one tackle on 18 defensive snaps. New England's defensive backfield was healthy for virtually the entire season, giving Richards little room to make an impact. Nickel safety Duron Harmon is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, while starting strong safety Patrick Chung is due $5.4 million and is a candidate to be released, which would opening the door for Richards to have a breakout season in 2017.

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

Houston signed Scarlett as an undrafted free agent prior to training camp. He made the 53-man roster, helping the Texans allow a league-leading 301.3 yards per game during the regular season. He was injured Weeks 7-14, but returned to finish the regular season with 13 tackles on seven appearances, also appearing in both of Houston's postseason games. Scarlett remains under contract with the Texans for two more seasons, and could be a valuable piece of their top-ranked defense.

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

Sherman was his usual elite self for the 2016 season, helping Seattle win the NFC West and reach the NFC Divisional Round. With four interceptions in 2016, Sherman brought his career total to 30, the most in the NFL since his rookie season in 2011. He defended 13 passes and made 58 tackles while starting every game – Sherman has yet to miss a game in his six-year NFL career. Quarterbacks had a 63.8 passer rating when targeting Sherman, the eighth-lowest in the NFL according to PFF. Sherman has two seasons left on a four-year, $56 million contract he signed in 2014, and remains one of the most feared defensive players in football.

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

Shittu spent the entire 2016 season on Philadelphia's practice squad after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent. Appearing in all four of the Eagles' preseason games, Shittu made six tackles, including five solo, and had 1.5 sacks. Shittu's three-year, $1 million deal with the Eagles runs through 2019, and he expects to attend training camp ahead of the 2017 season.

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

Skov was unfortunate not to see significant snaps on defense towards the end of the season after a knee injury derailed his 2016 season. Before that, Skov was among the league leaders in special teams tackles and snaps played. He showed flashes of brilliance in the 2016 preseason, in which he was one of PFF's highest rated defensive players. Health will be key to Skov's 2017 season, in which he is an exclusive rights free agent with the 49ers.

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

Taylor was almost exclusively a special teams player in 2016, with the Arizona Cardinals finishing 7-8-1. He appeared in 15 games, finishing with four rushing attempts for 12 yards. He is an unrestricted free agent heading into the 2017 season.

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

Thomas was named PFF All-Pro for the third straight season, earning an honorable mention after finishing second in the league in special teams tackles (19). He helped Miami to its first playoff berth in eight seasons, finishing the regular season with 58 tackles, one sack and two forced fumbles, the first two of his career. Thomas was called into action for 51 percent of Miami's defensive snaps, making nine starts (including playoffs). In his playoff debut, a 30-12 loss at Pittsburgh, Thomas made a team-high six tackles and one interception, his first career postseason pick. Thomas is an unrestricted free agent heading into 2017, and figures to net a multi-year deal as one of the league's premier special teamers who can play significant snaps on defense.

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

Toilolo was a valuable part of the NFL's most prolific offense in 2016, helping Atlanta reach the Super Bowl. He made 11 starts, totaling 13 receptions for 264 yards (20.3 average) and two touchdowns while helping the Falcons average 120.5 rushing yards per game, the fifth-best mark in the league. An unrestricted free agent heading into 2017, Toilolo has yet to miss an NFL game in four seasons and has proven he can contribute to a well-balanced offense. 

Griff Whalen • WR/PR • Miami Dolphins • Fifth season • @GriffWhalen

Whalen made eight appearances for San Diego in 2016 after starting the season on Miami's active roster. He was cut by the Chargers after Week 10 and later appeared on New England's active roster for two weeks. He will be an unrestricted free agent heading into 2017 with four seasons of professional football under his belt.

David Yankey • OL • Carolina Panthers • Second season • @Papa_yank

Yankey became the 14th Australian to play regular season football in the NFL after earning promotion to Carolina's 53-man roster prior to Week 12. Yankey appeared in every game from that point on, playing 21 offensive snaps. Heading into the 2017 season, Yankey is a restricted free agent with the Panthers owning the exclusive rights to his next deal.

Remembering Reuland

On Dec. 12, 2016, former Stanford tight end Konrad Reuland died of a brain aneurysm. A three-year NFL veteran, Reuland was part of Stanford's 2010 team which won the Orange Bowl with a 12-1 record, the first BCS bowl win in program history. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers after going undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft, before appearing in 30 games with the New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts over three seasons.
 
"Konrad was the perfect brother, not only to his immediate family but also to everyone he came into contact. He was the first one there to celebrate your victories, the first one there to catch you when you were falling, and the first one to stand up for those less fortunate. His enthusiasm, humor, and integrity live on in each of us and epitomizes the best of Stanford football."
 
    - Sam Schwartzstein, BA '12, MA '13
    2012 Team Captain