Tag: ducks in the nfl

Jevon Holland is the NFL’s highest graded rookie defender by PFF

Through the first two weeks of the season, former Oregon safety Jevon Holland is the highest graded rookie in the NFL by Pro Football Focus.

Former Oregon Ducks defensive back Jevon Holland has gotten off to an exceptionally strong start in his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins.

In fact, according to Pro Football Focus’ player grades, Holland is the highest graded defensive rookie in the NFL through the first two weeks of the season, earning a stellar 85.2 mark.

Holland joined Miami as the 36th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He performed well in training camp and in the preseason, but found himself outside the starting lineup in Week 1 against the Patriots.

However, he still played 24 defensive snaps in that contest, recording two solo tackles and earning an 82.5 grade from PFF. He worked his way into the starting lineup in Week 2, playing 50 total defensive snaps and making three combined tackles, two quarterback hits, and recovering a fumble and gaining 11 yards in the process.

Holland is competing with Eric Rowe for playing time in Miami’s secondary, but after two solid performances to begin his NFL career, fans can expect to see a lot more of the former Oregon star this season and beyond.

[listicle id=7869]

How former Oregon Ducks performed in NFL Week 2 games

Jevon Holland and Deommodore Lenoir continue to excel in the secondary as we look at how Oregon #Ducks did in the NFL this week.

It was another nice weekend for the Oregon Ducks currently playing in the NFL.

Rookie defensive backs Deommodore Lenoir (San Francisco) and Jevon Holland (Miami) each had nice performances, continuing to cement themselves into the starting lineups of their respective teams.

While Juwan Johnson did not follow up his two touchdown performance in Week 1 with another score, he still proved a valuable piece of New Orleans’ offensive attack – as did Calvin Throckmorton, who remains the team’s starting right guard.

Justin Herbert had another up-and-down performance, and while his completion rate is sky-high he will need to find a way to avoid turnovers if he wants to keep Los Angeles competitive in the AFC West.

Oregon’s other NFL quarterback, Marcus Mariota, was out this week with a quad injury sustained during his 31-yard run for the Raiders in Week 1.

All those performances, and a look at how the rest of Oregon’s NFL stars performed in Week 2, can be seen below:

How former Oregon Ducks performed in NFL Week 1 games

Justin Herbert and Juwan Johnson sparkled in the first week of NFL action for 18 former Oregon Ducks.

18 former Oregon Ducks football players took the field during Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season, a testament to the growth and development of this program under coach Mario Cristobal in the past few seasons.

While Justin Herbert is the most notable name, especially after breaking an NFL record in his first start of the season, there were plenty of other notable performances from former Oregon stars over the weekend.

Juwan Johnson caught the first two touchdown passes of his NFL career for the Saints, Penei Sewell excelled in his NFL debut – at a new position and going against Nick Bosa no less – and tight end Pharaoh Brown set a career high with 67 receiving yards for the Texans.

Meanwhile, Sewell was not the only former Duck making his NFL debut, as defensive backs Demmodore Lenoir and Jevon Holland had strong games for San Francisco and Miami, respectively.

Each week during the NFL season, we will take a look at how every Oregon alumni performed, with updates on their statistics and role within their organization as the year goes along.

Here is the first update after Week 1:

Steelers release former Oregon DL Henry Mondeaux

Former Oregon Ducks defensive tackle Henry Mondeaux was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday.

The Pittsburgh Steelers swung a trade with the Seattle Seahawks to acquire veteran cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon for a 2023 fifth round pick on Friday.

In order to make room on the 53-man roster, former Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Henry Mondeaux was released.

The expectation is that Pittsburgh will add Mondeaux to the practice squad, assuming he clears waivers.

Mondeaux initially caught on with the Steelers on a reserve/future contract in December of 2019. He ended up appearing in 11 games for Pittsburgh last season, recording five combined tackles and two quarterback hits while serving primarily on the special teams.

He was off and on the practice squad last year as well, getting protected multiple times while the team shuffled him up and down onto the active roster.

Mondeaux starred at Oregon from 2014-2017. He recorded 17 tackles for loss and 10 sacks while with the Ducks, providing a disruptive presence up front for defensive coordinator Don Pellum.

[listicle id=6113]

24 Oregon Ducks to begin the season on NFL rosters

Fans of the Oregon Ducks can look forward to seeing two dozen former players take the field for various NFL teams ahead of the 2021 season.

The first day of September signifies the start of the school year, the beginning of fall, pumpkin spice everything, and, of course, football.

For hundreds of NFL hopefuls it also signifies either the realization of a lifelong dream to make an NFL roster, or the crushing defeat of being unemployed with limited other options thanks to the lack of a minor league system.

Today, 24 former Oregon Ducks are in the first camp, surviving the final round of roster cuts and getting set to begin the 2021 campaign on an NFL roster.

Of course, a lot can and will change as waivers are placed, practice squads are established, and the looming presence of Covid-19 potentially creates additional openings for currently unsigned players to find homes in short order.

Quarterback Justin Herbert will draw the most attention, but defensive end DeForest Buckner is among the best players in the league right now, and newcomer Penei Sewell has a chance to prove himself as an elite offensive lineman with the Detroit Lions as a rookie this year.

For now, here is a look at the 24 Ducks who are on rosters heading into the first weekend of the season:

(Edit: As practice squads get finalized, we will add any Oregon players to this sheet as well)

5 teams that should sign former Ducks running back Royce Freeman

The Denver Broncos released former Oregon Ducks running back Royce Freeman. Here are five teams that should look to add him.

In a move that was widely anticipated, the Denver Broncos are parting ways with former Oregon Ducks running back Royce Freeman.

Freeman initially joined the Broncos as a third round pick in 2018. He was productive in his first two seasons – especially as a rookie when he made eight starts – but the addition of veteran Melvin Gordon last year really cut into his playing time.

Gordon is still Denver’s top dog in 2021, and the team went ahead and selected JaVonte Williams in the draft as well – paving the way for Freeman’s departure.

In three seasons with Denver, Freeman averaged 4.0 yards per carry for 1,187 yards with eight touchdowns. He also caught 83 passes for 409 yards and another score.

While he may never live up to his billing as a third round pick, it’s clear Freeman still has the talent to contribute in the NFL – and there are plenty of needy teams that could use him as a No. 3 or No. 4 running back, especially considering his abilities as a pass blocker and receiver.

Below is a list of five teams who could look to bolster their running back by adding Freeman into the mix:

Pharaoh Brown is happy to finally be getting his opportunity

Former Oregon Ducks tight end Pharaoh Brown is competing for a big role in the Houston Texans’ offense this year, even after battling COVID.

It’s been a winding journey for former Oregon Ducks tight end Pharaoh Brown to get to where he is today; competing for a starting spot on the Houston Texans.

Five seasons, three teams, and a whopping nine(!) different head coaches created a rather whirlwind start to his professional career, but Brown understands he is in a position to put all that behind him and take advantage of a rare opportunity to contribute significantly for Houston.

“I’ve been in the league five years but I really only count two because I wasn’t playing,” Brown told Houston media members on Monday. “I was more playing politics my first two years and I was behind guys that was getting $10 million plus each year. So nothing I would do, I wasn’t getting an opportunity to play on the field initially because the Texans didn’t have a guy at my position that was getting that. I knew I would be able to get my fair shot and I bet on myself and I was right. I’m finally getting my opportunity.”

Brown is one of few players on the roster returning this season who played a big role on the team in 2020, and he has familiarity with Houston’s new quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, who he played with in Cleveland during the 2018 season.

“Me and Tyrod was in Cleveland together for a whole year, so as soon as he signed here, I was happy,” Brown continued. “Called him and talked to him. He actually was my practice squad quarterback the whole year so I’m used to Tyrod. It’s like a stroll in the park for me with Tyrod.”

Brown went undrafted in 2017 and spent time on the practice squads for both the Raiders and Browns before signing with Houston in 2020.

He quickly adjusted to the offense and ended up making nine starts and hauling in 14 receptions for 163 yards and the first two touchdowns of his NFL career.

Now, even after a nasty bout of COVID-19 and a bad reaction to the vaccine, Brown is back and ready to solidify his place as Houston’s go-to tight end option in 2021.

“I’ve been prepared each year like I knew I was a starter, I believed I was a starter and I believed I could play in this league and it was just a matter of opportunity,” Brown said. “Just preparation — opportunity is finally meeting preparation and that’s why I’m confident and that’s why when I got out there last year, you know what I mean, it was just like, stepping into it.”

Brown starred at Oregon from 2012-2016, battling injuries to haul in 70 total receptions for 1,011 yards and 13 touchdowns, becoming one of the best tight ends in school history.

[listicle id=3861]

Justin Herbert impresses in front of Chargers fans at SoFi Stadium

Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert wowed fans at SoFi Stadium in a scrimmage event for the Chargers on Sunday.

Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert had one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history last year, a fact that flew under the radar in part because he played the majority of his games in front of very few fans thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chargers held their Fan Fest event on Sunday, marking the first time Herbert was able to play at SoFi Stadium in front of fans, and he did not disappoint.

The second-year starter was electric during the live-game situations implemented by the coaching staff during the scrimmage, tossing touchdown passes to Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and tight end Jared Cook and wowing with his arm strength, accuracy, and decision making.

“It was a lot of fun,” Herbert said. “We had a great time. It was just good to be back out there and, thank you to all of the fans that showed up and supported. It’s just good to be back to playing football. [Having the fans present] means everything to us, to see them line up and support us.”

Herbert and the Chargers are slated to take on the Rams at SoFi Stadium on Saturday evening, although it is unclear if the starters will be on the field or not.

[lawrence-related id=4573]

Raiders installing goal line package for quarterback Marcus Mariota

The Las Vegas Raiders are installing a package of plays for backup quarterback Marcus Mariota in 2021.

Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota is entering his second season as a primary backup to Derek Carr on the Las Vegas Raiders, but don’t be surprised to see him on the field more in 2021.

After the suggestion was made by left guard Richie Incognito that Mariota be used in the red zone more this season, it came out through a report from Paul Gutierrez of ESPN that the Raiders are already installing a package of plays for Mariota this season.

“Last year was hard because he was hurt all the time,” Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said of Mariota, who spent the first six weeks of the season on injured reserve with a chest injury. “This complex thing we’re trying to pull off here…we’re not going to call exactly the same plays when Marcus is in the game than when Derek is in the game. You wouldn’t either. That’s why we have a very vast playbook. I think for Marcus to be great, he has to run plays that he’s good at and that he likes.”

Mariota has always excelled near the goal line, posting the best TD-to-INT ratio in the red zone a few years ago. Red zone offense was a big issue for the Raiders under Carr last season, so it is not a surprise to see the team opting to find ways to get Mariota’s accuracy and running ability on the field in key scoring situations.

[listicle id=4127]