Tag: auburn in NFL

Former Tiger Jaylin Simpson signs with New York Jets

The 24-year-old had spent the entirety of his season on the Colts practice squad

Former Auburn Tiger standout safety Jaylin Simpson has found a new NFL home after spending the entirety of his rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts practice squad. The 2023 All-SEC safety was signed by the New York Jets on Thursday, giving him a chance to suit up for his first NFL action this week against the Jaguars.

The 24-year-old was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by Indianapolis but failed to crack a spot on the active roster following training camp. Indianapolis did elect to sign him to the practice squad, where he spent the entirety of his season until the Jets signed him this week. While Simpson is unlikely to learn enough of the playbook to receive snaps this week, the former Tiger certaintly has a chance to play regularly down the stretch for a Jets team that enters Week 15 with a 3-10 record on the season.

Simpson finished his Auburn career with 116 total tackles, 7 interceptions, 21 passes defended, and 1 defensive touchdown. A 2023 All-SEC First Team Selection, Simpson collected 4 of his 7 career interceptions in his senior season. If he is able to take the field this weekend, he’d suit up directly against his Auburn teammate, Tank Bigsby, who has become an important piece of the Jaguars offense in his second professional season.

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Carlton Davis tallies first multi-interception game of career

The former Tiger led all cornerbacks with a 91.3 PFF grade in Week 10

Former Auburn Tiger turned longtime NFL veteran Carlton Davis III achieved something he had never done during his seven year professional career last Sunday. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers second round pick, who is spending his first season with the Detroit Lions after an offseason trade, tallied a pair of interceptions in a victory over the Texans on Sunday night, giving the 27-year-old his first multi-pick game of his career.

The pair of interceptions led all NFL defensive players in week 10. Davis III’s PFF grade of 91.3 was the highest among all cornerbacks in the league, while his opposing passer rating of 9.2 was second among all corners. The second of his two interceptions was partially important and impressive, as Davis III baited Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud into throwing an end zone shot to Tank Dell. The 27-year-old closed on the ball immediately, intercepting Stroud in the end zone to end a Texans scoring threat.

While the former Tiger has paved out a phenomenal career in the league, he’s never been known to be a ballhawk. The pair of interceptions improved Davis III’s all time total to just 11 over his six-plus seasons in the NFL. He now has three seasons of multiple interceptions recorded. He intercepted the opposing quarterback twice in 2023 after tallying a career high 4 interceptions in Tampa Bay’s 2020 Super Bowl winning season.

The shut down cornerback never accomplished a multi-interception game during his three years on the Plains either, although that was mainly due to the fact the opposition refused to throw the ball in his direction because of his dominance. His pair of interceptions helped the Lions improve to a franchise best 8-1 on the season. The former Tiger is all but guaranteed to get back to the playoffs yet again, giving himself a chance to earn a second Super Bowl ring.

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Carl Lawson tallies third multi-sack game of career in NFL Week 9

Lawson’s pair of sacks were the most he’s accumulated in a game since 2019

Former Auburn Tiger Carl Lawson played his best game as a pro in half a decade on Sunday, sacking Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins twice in a losing effort. Although the 29-year-old’s effort wasn’t enough to earn his Cowboys the victory, the former fourth-round pick proved he still has plenty left in the tank in his NFL career.

Lawson’s pair of sacks were the most he’s accumulated in a game since 2019. It’s also only the third time the former Tiger has tallied multiple sacks in a game since he entered the NFL in 2017. The former Cincinnati Bengal has now registered at least a tackle in each of his last four games, earning himself a spot among the defensive line rotation after Dallas signed him to the practice squad at the end of training camp.

While Lawson is unlikely to garner enough snaps to flirt with his career-high mark of 8.5 sacks in 2017, the former Tiger has the chance to earn himself a multi-year contract if he continues playing well throughout the second half of the season. He may see increased playing time down the stretch as well with Dallas now on the outside looking in for a playoff spot.

Since graduating from Auburn in 2017, Lawson has 29.5 sacks, 128 tackles, and 4 forced fumbles over the course of 7 NFL seasons. The former Tiger has registered at least 5 sacks in three of those seasons. He’ll need 2.5 more in 2024 to capture his fourth campaign of 5 or more quarterback wrap ups.

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Former Tiger Darius Slayton on pace for career-high yards in 2024

Slayton’s 420 yards through the air have him on pace to finish just short of 900 yards this season.

Former Auburn wide receiver [autotag]Darius Slayton[/autotag] has turned himself into a reliable NFL pass-catching option since being drafted by the New York Giants in 2019. Although Slayton has consistently stayed on the field and provided downfield fireworks for quarterback Daniel Jones, the 27-year-old has yet to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark at any point throughout his career.

That could change this season, as Monday night’s four-catch, 108-yard outing pushed Slayton up to No. 22 among receiving yards leaders in the NFL. His 420 yards through the air after eight contests have Slayton on pace to finish just short of 900 yards this season, which would out-due his career-high mark of 770 handedly.

The former fourth-round selection in the 2019 NFL Draft still has plenty of work to do if he hopes to capture his first 1,000-yard season of his career, but Slayton has shown a level of per-game consistency that could get him to the century mark. The Auburn alumni has secured at least 3 receptions in all but 2 of his 8 games this season. He has racked up at least 50 yards in 4 of his last 5 games, something the 27-year-old had never done in his career prior.

Whereas Slayton was somewhat forced into the top receiver role during his early career in New York, he now has former SEC standout Malik Nabers along with young players such as Wan’Dale Robinson and Tyrone Tracy to help share the load on the offensive end. If Slayton can continue to take advantage of softer coverage and more opportunities, he would become the first former Tiger to post a 1,000-receiving-yard season since Frank Sanders in 1998.

Only two other former Tigers have reached the century mark in an NFL season, Red Phillips (1961) and Lionel James (1985). The latter was listed as a running back at the time, as he added a career-high 516 yards on the ground as well.

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Former Tiger Tank Bigsby likely to start for Jaguars this week

The 23-year-old has rushed for 297 yards on just 41 carries through six weeks

Former Auburn star running back Tank Bigsby’s Jacksonville Jaguars have endured a rough start to the 2024 NFL season. Head coach Doug Pederson’s Jaguars have won just a single game through six weeks of play, while injuries and effective play from star players have derailed any plans of a playoff birth for Jacksonville.

While the team has been abysmal so far this season, Bigsby himself has enjoyed a very good sophomore season after an underwhelming rookie campaign. Through six weeks, the 23-year-old has rushed for 297 yards on just 41 carries. Those numbers should both improve as soon as this Sunday, as Bigsby is all-but confirmed to receive his first NFL start with incumbent starter Travis Etienne considered week-to-week with a hamstring injury.

With the Jaguars searching for any sparks to salvage what was a season with high-expectations, Bigsby has the chance to help right the ship with a solid showing across the pond against the Patriots on Sunday. While Pederson has continuously reiterated Etienne is his “RB1”, Bigsby has shown an explosiveness and toughness the Clemson product simply has not offered the Jacksonville offense.

Tank Bigsby has rushed for a NFL-best 7.2 yards per carry thus far in 2024. If the former Tiger can sustain anywhere close to that total with a higher workload, we could see him “run away” with the starting running back job in what has become a lost season for the Jaguars. Bigsby is in line for his first professional start when Jacksonville takes on the 1-5 Patriots in London at 8:30 AM CST on Sunday.

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C.J Uzomah signs with Eagles practice squad

The 10-year veteran has accumulated 1,881 yards and 16 touchdowns over 106 career games in the NFL

Former Auburn Tiger turned veteran NFL tight end C.J. Uzomah signed with the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad on Thursday. The 31-year-old spent most of training game with the NFC East favorites before learning he had been released ahead of the final preseason game.

Now back with the Eagles in a practice squad role, Uzomah will have the chance to earn his first regular season NFL snaps since December of last year, when he unfortunately suffered a season ending injury as a member of the New York Jets. The former fifth-round draft selection finished that 2023 season with just 8 receptions in 12 games played, although he did score a touchdown in prime time against the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

Since leaving the Plains to join the Cincinnati Bengals in 2015, the 10-year veteran has accumulated 1,881 yards and 16 touchdowns over 106 career games in the NFL. The former Tiger has performed very well in postseason play however, as he averaged a very respectable 36.5 receiving yards per game in the Bengals run to the Super Bowl in 2021.

That postseason success could be what led the Eagles to take another chance on the Uzomah, especially considering the mediocre nature of the NFC this season. Although the Eagles have plenty of talented pass catchers on the roster, Uzomah could be an injury or two away from making an impact on one of the more talented teams in the league.

For now, the Auburn product will have to show enough on a week-to-week basis to earn a promotion to the active roster on Sundays. Each respective NFL team is allowed to promote two members of their 16-member practice squad to the active roster each week.

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Former Tiger Tank Bigsby leading NFL in yards per carry through five weeks

Bigsby’s 8 yards per attempt easily leads the NFL through the first third of the season.

Former Auburn running back Tank Bigsby continued his fantastic second season in the NFL last Sunday, rushing for 101 yards on 13 carries while scoring two touchdowns in the Jaguars 37-34 win over the Colts. Astonishingly, Bigsby’s 7.7 yards per carry last Sunday brought down his average on the season, as the 24-year-old now is averaging exactly 8 yards per rush attempt this year.

That number has the former Tiger ranked in first place among all NFL rushers in the metric. After five weeks, Bigsby leads two-time MVP Lamar Jackson (6.8), J.K Dobbins (6.1),  Derrick Henry (6.0) and Saquon Barkley (6.0) for the highest total in the league. While the former Tiger hasn’t accumulated nearly as many rush attempts (34) as the other players on the list, his efficiency, and knack for finding the end zone, could lead Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson to re-think his running back snap share as the season moves on.

Perhaps more important than the yards per carry metric, the 6-foot, 213-pound bruiser is somewhat hilariously miles ahead of any runner in the NFL in yards per contact per carry and tackles avoided per carry. Current Jacksonville starter Travis Etienne has not been nearly as efficient with his opportunities, although the Clemson product’s 4.4 yards per clip is still a solid number.

With Jacksonville sitting at 1-4 and the offense mostly struggling to find sparks, it is very possible Bigsby could be in line for extended work as we venture further into the fall. If we were to take over the starting role and “run” with it, the former Tiger could play himself into the Most Improved Player conversation.

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Former Tiger Angelo Blackson signs deal with Arizona Cardinals

Blackson returns to the Cardinals practice squad after spending the 2020 campaign in Arizona.

Former Auburn defensive lineman Angelo Blackson signed a deal to join the Arizona Cardinals practice squad on Wednesday. The 31-year-old lineman returns to the NFL just a few weeks after the failing to make the Denver Broncos 53-man roster in the final week leading up to the regular season.

Since being drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the 2015 NFL Draft, Blackson has paved out a fairly successful journeyman career in the league. The former Tiger has played for five different franchises over the course of nine seasons, including the Cardinals in 2020.

Over those nine seasons, Blackson has accumulated 179 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and an interception. 2.5 of those 8.5 career sacks came when he was last in Arizona during the fan-less 2020 campaign. The former fourth-round pick could provide some depth for a Cardinals defense that is projected to finish near the basement of the NFL in terms of yardage and points allowed.

Arizona’s staff may have seen a glimpse of how bad their defensive group could be in the team’s 34-28 loss to the Buffalo Bills in week one. While the loss and defensive outlook might be tough to swallow for Cardinals fans, it could be good news for Blackson as he looks to make his first major impact in the NFL since he had 2.5 sacks and a career-high 43 tackles with the Chicago Bears in 2021.

The NFL allows franchises to elevate a maximum of two practice squad players ahead of each week’s contest. Blackson will likely take time to learn his new team’s defensive scheme, but could have a chance to suit up for Arizona as soon as week three.

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Former Tiger Carl Lawson signs with Dallas Cowboys

The former fourth-round pick has accumulated 27 sacks in his NFL career since leaving Auburn.

Former Auburn Tiger defensive lineman turned NFL-journey man Carl Lawson agreed to a contract with the Dallas Cowboys on Friday. The 29-year-old spent four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before playing with the New York Jets the previous two.

A fourth-round pick of the Bengals in 2017, Lawson has accumulated 27 sacks in his NFL career since leaving Auburn. The 6-foot-2, 265-pound defensive end has managed at least 5 sacks in every season he’s suited up for at least 16 games. That production may have been exactly what caused Dallas to ink Lawson to a new deal.

Despite rostering pass rushing stars like Micah Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence, the Cowboys finished in the middle of the pack in team sacks (47) last season. We’ll see if the former Tiger can help infuse Dallas’s front-seven with enough production to help them finish near the top of the league in 2024.

While he is extremely unlikely to suit up for the Cowboys preseason game on August 17 against Las Vegas, it is very possible Lawson could make his Dallas debut when the Cowboys host the Chargers on August 24.

Carl Lawson sacked the opposing quarterback 14 times during his three seasons at Auburn, including a career-high 9 times in 2016. His 24 tackles for a loss rank 19th all-time among Tigers.

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Former Tiger Marlon Davidson re-signs with Tennessee Titans

The former All-SEC defensive lineman appeared in five games in 2023, totaling 10 tackles and a sack.

Former Auburn star defensive lineman and 2020 second-round pick [autotag]Marlon Davidson[/autotag] is staying with the Tennessee Titans in 2024.

After an up-and-down start to his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons and San Fransisco 49ers, Davidson found a home in Music City last season. The former All-SEC lineman appeared in 5 games in 2023, totaling 10 tackles and a sack. Davidson earned a start in 3 of those 5 games despite opening the season on the teams’ practice squad.

Despite the Titans actively pursuing and acquiring free agents this offseason, the team is still a few years away from challenging the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs, and maybe the AFC South rival Houston Texans, for AFC Championship honors. This makes a short-term deal with the 25-year-old Davidson a win for both sides, as Davidson gets to prove his second-round worth while Tennessee staff works towards evaluating young talent to build a winner.

Davidson’s career numbers sit at just 39 total tackles with two sacks, one fumble recovery, and one interception. If the former Tiger has a solid camp in Nashville, he realistically could double those career numbers next season.

Davidson and the Titans will open up the NFL preseason in early August. The full schedule for each team across the league is expected to be released later in May.

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