WATCH: Former Alabama WR John Metchie is working his way back on the field

It’s nice to see the former Alabama star back on the field.

Back in early December, the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Georiga Bulldogs for the 2021 SEC Championship. The excitement level from the victory was slightly brought down when star wide receiver [autotag]John Metchie[/autotag] went down with a non-contact knee injury.

Metchie’s absence would be felt throughout the remainder of the season but was especially noticeable in the rematch with the Bulldogs in January for the national championship.

Metchie’s injury likely cost him an opportunity to become a first-round selection in the 2022 NFL draft but the talented wideout was eventually selected in the second round by the Houston Texans with the No. 44 overall selection.

It appears that Metchie is slowly but surely working his way back into game shape. In a Twitter video courtesy of Coty M. Davis who covers the Texans for SI, you can see Metchie taking the practice field during Houston’s 2022 rookie minicamp.

Currently, there is no timetable for Metchie’s return but the expectations are that he will play during the 2022 NFL season.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to monitor Metchie’s career with the Texans and beyond.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

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Travon Walker discusses working out as an OLB during opening day of rookie minicamp

During Day 1 of rookie minicamp, the Jags had Travon Walker practicing as an OLB and the No. 1 overall pick said he was excited to get comfortable there.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ rookie class of 2022 took the field for the team for the first time on Friday for the start of rookie minicamp. Of course, the player who had the most eyes on him was No. 1 pick, Travon Walker, who is going to be a key part of the defense.

A big question heading into his NFL career was the position he would play. In Walker’s first press conference he mentioned playing from the outside linebacker spot, which is where he spent his first day of rookie camp at.

“So far, I’m at outside linebacker with [Outside Linebackers Coach] Coach [Bill] Shuey, but who knows what the future holds,” Walker said when asked about the position he could play in the present and future. “The more comfortable I get with the defense, you never know.”

One thing that was stressed in his first press conference by Walker and coach Doug Pederson was that they wanted to get him comfortable with one position first, then potentially progress to other positions down the road. That would be a smart decision for the Jags, as letting him learn the outside linebacker role first would allow him to focus on the biggest issue for the defense, which is sacking the quarterback.

Playing the outside linebacker position isn’t new to Walker, though, as he did it at times at Georgia. However, he spent more time as a defensive lineman due to the team being extremely talented. But now in the NFL, the Jags want to give him the luxury of not putting too much on his plate at the moment.

“I kind of always dibbled and dabbled in the outside linebacker world,” Walker said when asked about his familiarity with the position. “But just strictly working on outside linebacker things in practice I feel like I’m truly getting more comfortable with the position, learn a lot more techniques coming from that position and not have to learn so many different other positions.”

Currently, the Jags are just in the teaching stages of things with their rookies, which means the more important stages will come down the road when they join the veterans. Still, many observed Walker closely on his first day and were impressed with his size, length, and power, all of which were seen on film, too.

With two more days of minicamp left, it will be interesting to see what the Jags do with Walker to help him make the transition to the NFL. However, we should be able to learn even more about him down the road when he’s on the field with the veterans.

Former Alabama DL Marcell Dareus getting another shot in the NFL

The former Pro-Bowler is getting another shot in the NFL!

Former Alabama star defensive lineman [autotag]Marcell Dareus[/autotag] is getting another shot in the NFL, this time with the Baltimore Ravens.

The former No. 3 overall selection in the 2011 NFL draft is currently working out for the Ravens during their 2022 rookie minicamp which also includes a pair of Alabama rookies in [autotag]Jalyn Amour-Davis[/autotag] and [autotag]Slade Bolden[/autotag].

Dareus has not seen any action in the NFL since 2019 when he played for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Although Dareus has battled injuries throughout his NFL career, he still has some eye-popping stats. Through nine seasons, the defensive tackle from Birmingham has been selected to two Pro Bowls, has been named a First-Team All-Pro, notched 37.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumbles recovered, and has 365 combined tackles in 121 games.

Dareus became a fan favorite for the Tide when he intercepted a pass in the 2009 BCS title game against Texas and took it to the house for six.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to monitor Dareus’ journey back to the NFL.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

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