By William Qualkinbush.
Former Tigers can be found on rosters around the NFL. Each week we will take a look at some of the highlights from the former Clemson greats.
–This is the time of year when roster cuts become a part of the daily news cycle. Teams have just whittled the pool of potential members down to 75, with another round of cuts soon to help put the number at 53. Former Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd has been spotty enough that some questioned whether he would last past the first cuts in camp, but the New York Jets decided to spare him, at least for now. He will have one more chance to impress his new coaching staff on Thursday, when the Jets take on the Philadelphia Eagles in their final preseason game.
–Speaking of Boyd, the odds are still long that he makes the 53-man roster for the start of the regular season. He has been outperformed by Matt Simms in the preseason, a stunning turn of events that has some on the coaching staff—including the quarterbacks coach—taking notice. NFL teams rarely carry more than three quarterbacks at a time, so Simms’ emergence might spell further trouble for Boyd in New York.
–One of Boyd’s teammates was not so lucky. Wide receiver Jacoby Ford was released by the Jets on Sunday, making him a free agent. Ford signed with the Jets in the offseason after spending four seasons with the Oakland Raiders. The team expected Ford to upgrade its return game, but returns were not encouraging after some uneven efforts in that regard. In three preseason games, Ford caught three passes for 19 yards and had 69 yards on three kickoff returns.
Because of his speed and pedigree, Ford will likely be scooped up by another team fairly quickly. However, the timing of the cut will make it tough for him to transition to another offense and integrate in time for the season to begin. It’s a tough break for the former two-sport star.
–Perhaps the biggest bit of news concerning Clemson alumni this week involves placekicker Chandler Catanzaro. The record-setting former Tiger won the starting job at kicker for the Arizona Cardinals over incumbent Jay Feely, a veteran who ranks 23rd on the NFL’s all-time scoring list. Catanzaro was an undrafted free agent who earned an invite to camp in spite of the presence of two other kickers on the roster already. His leg strength on kickoffs ended up being a major factor, and in this story featured on the Cardinals’ official website, he describes getting the starting nod as “a lifelong dream coming true”.
–Stud wideout Sammy Watkins suffered a rib injury in the Buffalo Bills’ second preseason game, but Head Coach Doug Marrone said he was able to practice on Monday without limitations. Watkins will probably be held out in the team’s final preseason tilt on Thursday against the Detroit Lions, but he is expected to be fully healthy when the Bills open the season in a week and a half.