by Andrew Hardison
As the NFL season winds down, many of our former UK football players have gotten the chance to see the field and get some quality and valuable playing time. As quickly as that is said, many others have felt the harsh reality of injuries and are now out for the rest of the NFL season. Let’s take a look at the action:
Jeremy Jarmon (Redskins)-
Jarmon’s career in the NFL started earlier than it should have, but he made the best of his short time on the field this season. Jarmon had been seeing increased minutes in past weeks, when all that suddenly changed on Sunday in the team’s 27-24 loss to divisional rival Philadelphia. During the game, Jarmon tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and will now head to the injured reserve list. This news is a tough pill to swallow for the young defensive lineman because of his recent progression on the team. He’s gotten opportunities to play for the Redskins in all of their games, attributed by Jarmon’s hard work on and off the field. He may not have amassed incredible statistics on the season, but used his abilities to come in when other teammates were injured or if the Redskins needed a breath of fresh air. The NFL is a punishing game and these things do happen. If there is any good news to take away from this story, it’s that Jarmon’s 2010 roster spot won’t be affected by this injury. The bad news is that it is a definite set-back in the young career of Jeremy Jarmon. Best of luck going forward to Jarmon.
Andre Woodson (Redskins)-
Woodson finally makes some headlines, but not in the best way possible. The Redskins recently cut-loose the former Wildcats quarterback this past week, signing Richard Bartel as a reserve quarterback and letting Woodson hit the waiver wire this late in the season. Woodson’s NFL career doesn’t have too many highlights and he’s been through this process before. Coming out of college, much was known about Woodson’s heroic efforts to bring Kentucky back into SEC relevance. With that said, his NFL future was put into question because of his mechanics and mobility, or lack thereof. After a stint with the Giants, the Redskins signed Woodson to their 53-man roster and used him to run the scout team, essentially making him a member of the team’s practice squad. Woodson basically became the team’s third-string quarterback and was ready if needed. That never seemed to be the case, as Woodson now looks to get on with another NFL team for the rest of this season.
Myron Pryor (Patriots)-
Pryor and the Patriots were the proud recipients of a Monday Night Football game that pitted them against one of the NFL’s best teams; the New Orleans Saints. However, that sense of pride was quickly lost in last night’s 38-17 drubbing at the hands of the Saints. Pryor and the Patriots defense were totally inept against the pass-happy Saints, giving up 480 total yards. Pryor didn’t have so much to do with the passing game, but the Patriots defensive line struggled to get adequate pressure on Saints quarterback Drew Brees. The Patriots only had one sack and one quarterback hit on the day, evidence that the Saints offensive line was far superior on the night. Pryor amassed one tackle on the night and got some quality time behind guys like Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren, players who usually see the brunt of the playing time. Pryor is a feel good story as a rookie for the Patriots. He had received praise from head coach Bill Belichick early in the season, but it wasn’t apparent through Pryor’s playing time. As the season has moved forward, Pryor has been the recipient of increased playing time, where he’s learning and progressing into his NFL career quite nicely. It looks like Pryor could be around the NFL for a while.
Jacob Tamme (Colts)-
As the Colts continue to roll, Tamme continues to sit. We’ve known this essentially for the entire season as Tamme struggles to crack the receiver rotation on offense. He has one catch on the season for six yards, a far cry from his days at Kentucky. He was so sure-handed by the end of his senior season, that he clearly became one of Andre Woodson’s favorite targets because of his reliable route-running and hands. The Colts clearly must have seen the same thing when they drafted him, but have yet to utilize the second year pro from UK. He had been dealing with a quad injury recently but was still active for the Colts game against the Houston Texans on Sunday. Because of the fact that he doesn’t crack the offensive rotation, Tamme has had to make his name on special teams. He didn’t have a tackle in Sunday’s game, but he has before in previous games while playing with that unit. He did come up with a nice play, knocking an on-side kick out of bounds, securing it for the Colts. Tamme has one of the brightest futures for any former UK player because of his position. Reliable and good tight-ends are hard to come by in the NFL. Tamme became one of the nation’s best by his senior season, so there isn’t any reason to believe that he can’t get it done again. He just needs to playing time to do so and it doesn’t look like that will happen with the Colts.
Steve Johnson (Bills)-
Johnson has had a tough go with the Bills this season, as he hasn’t been given any solid opportunities to produce for the struggling Bills. For the second straight week, Johnson either didn’t play altogether or didn’t accumulate any stats. Hard to believe from a guy who helped led a resurgent Kentucky program in his last two years of playing there. Much has been said about the Bills wide receiving core and how difficult it could be for Johnson to crack that lineup. With that said, the Bills simply stink this year, so there should be no reason why Johnson doesn’t see more time. He only has two receptions on the season for 10 yards, well below his production line in college. The NFL is a different animal and it’s expected that Johnson might need more time to learn the in and out’s of the NFL game. Johnson, however, is as capable as anyone else out there trying to make a name for them in the NFL. He just needs the chance.
Garry Williams (Panthers)-
With an injury to starting offensive left-tackle Jordan Gross, one that should keep him out the rest of the season, has allowed Williams to gain some playing time in the past two weeks. Williams has seen action against the Dolphins and Jets, as well as sitting in the #2 position on the depth chart at the left-offensive tackle position. Williams’ versatility allows Panthers head coach John Fox to move Williams around on the offensive line when needed. With Gross out, Williams should get more time on the field not necessarily as a starter, but more in a reserve role along
with some spot time.
Wesley Woodyard (Broncos)-
It wasn’t just that the Broncos were struggling as a team; it was that the much improved defensive unit had just as quickly fallen apart. Woodyard has been a great in a reserve role that has seen him get increased minutes on the field with his solid play. Woodyard was able to get one tackle in the team’s victory over the Giants on Thanksgiving Day, but eventually had to leave the field due to a neck injury suffered during the game. This doesn’t come at a great time for Woodyard or the Broncos, as he had clearly solidified his position as one of the team’s best defenders when on the field. The severity of the injury is unknown, but Woodyard was slow leaving the Broncos locker-room Thursday night after their victory. If he does go down for an extended period of time, Denver’s defensive unit will take a hit in the efforts to regain their division lead once more.
Keenan Burton (Rams) – Out for season
Shane Boyd (Colts)-
Boyd, who recently saw most of his playing time come via the UFL, has reportedly been signed to play for the Colts for the rest of the season. KSR was the one place to report this news, so the legitimacy is in question as to whether Boyd actually signed or not. The Colts official website doesn’t list Boyd on their active roster, but it hasn’t been updated since this news broke so it is difficult to tell what is going on thus far.
Braxton Kelley (Broncos) – practice squad, Ventrell Jenkins (free agent), Rafael Little (free agent), Johnny Williams (free agent), Marcus McClinton (UFL), Glenn Holt (UFL)
Keep following www.http://wildcatbluenation.com for the best in Kentucky basketball and football news, rumors, and opinions. By Kentucky fans for Kentucky fans