Tag: Pro Dawgs

Washington’s best first round picks: No. 12 Marcus Peters

The former Washington Huskies star and one time defensive rookie of the year made his first appearance on campus since his departure last season.

The next former Washington Huskies first-round pick on our countdown is one of the most colorful and polarizing players in school history. Coming from the best first round UW has seen, cornerback Marcus Peters was taken by the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 18 overall in the 2015 draft. The same year, his teammates Danny Shelton and Shaq Thompson also heard their names called in the top 32.

Peters was a two-way player at McClymonds High School in Oakland, California playing cornerback, wide receiver, and kicker. He led his team to their first undefeated season in school history.

After arriving at Washington, he recorded 3 interceptions and scored his only college touchdown during his redshirt freshman season. He went on to collect 11 interceptions during his time on Montlake before things went awry and threw what he called a “hissy fit” during a game against Eastern Washington, throwing his gloves and helmet.

He was suspended the next week for violating team rules by coach Chris Petersen, and was kicked off the team in November.

“It’s never one thing. We’re not going to dismiss a guy because it’s one thing. That’s not what we’re in this business [to be] about. But when you feel like it just can’t work, you gotta do what you’ve gotta do,” Petersen said at the time.

Peters decided to forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the draft, where his actions threw up many red flags for NFL teams and his interviews at the NFL combine were very intense. The Chiefs ended up taking a chance on him in the first round and head coach Andy Reid named him the starting cornerback to begin the year.

He had a spectacular rookie season, amassing 53 tackles, 26 pass deflected, 8 interceptions, 2 touchdowns, and a forced fumble, which earned him Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and a spot on the second-team All-Pro.

Peters followed up that success in 2016 by being named to the first-team All-Pro and his second consecutive Pro Bowl. Then in 2017, some of his attitude issues that arose in college seemed to reappear. He was fined for a helmet to helmet hit on Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, suspended for a game by the Chiefs for arguing with a coach, and then he received a hefty fine for grabbing an official’s penalty flag and throwing it into the crowd.

The Chiefs traded Peters to the Los Angeles Rams in March 2018, where he started opposite Aqib Talib to form one of the league’s best cornerback duos. That season, he recorded 43 tackles, 8 pass deflections, 3 interceptions, and a touchdown as the Rams finished the regular season 13-3 and eventually made it to the Super Bowl, before losing the the New England Patriots.

Peters was traded to the Baltimore Ravens during the 2019 season and spent the next three years with the team before hitting free agency. He signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023 and played 12 games with them before he was waived on November 27.

Former Washington football star Kevin King returns to the NFL

Former Washington Huskies star and second-round pick Kevin King has made his return to the NFL.

Former Washington Huskies cornerback Kevin King hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2021. King took off the 2022 season for personal reasons and then suffered a torn Achilles in an off-season workout just before the start of training camp in 2023.

His return to the NFL was announced on Monday, with the Atlanta Falcons signing the former second-round pick, reuniting King with his position coach at Washington, Jimmy Lake. Details of his new contract have yet to be released.

The Oakland, California native spent four years on Montlake, playing safety during his first two seasons before switching to cornerback for the last two. King was originally considering entering the 2016 NFL draft, but Lake convinced him to return for one more season on Montlake to up this draft stock.

This paid off in multiple ways, as the Huskies made a run to the College Football Playoff thanks to a secondary led by King and Sidney Jones on the outside. Then, the Green Bay Packers took him with the No. 33 pick in the the 2017 draft.

King spent the next five seasons with the Packers, amassing 197 tackles, 7 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries. He had his best year in 2019, where he pulled in 5 of his 7 career picks.

Lake and new head coach Raheem Morris appear to have plenty of ideas to help work King into the Atlanta defense across from star cornerback AJ Terrell as they try to retool the team.

Former Washington DB Myles Bryant signs with Houston Texans

Former UW and New England Patriots defensive back Myles Bryant has signed a contract with the Houston Texans.

Former Washington Huskies defensive back Myles Bryant has signed with the reigning AFC South champions, the Houston Texans. Bryant spent 2016-19 on Montlake, appearing in 39 games where he totaled 177 tackles, 4 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, and 3.5 sacks. Details of his contract have not been released as of yet.

Bryant went undrafted in 2020 and signed with the New England Patriots, where he was waived before the beginning of the season and immediately brought back to the practice squad. He made his NFL debut just two weeks later against the Buffalo Bills and pulled in his first professional interception that year against the Los Angeles Rams.

He has grabbed one interception in each of the four years of his career, all of which have been spent in New England.

The Pasadena, California native will bring some depth to coach DeMeco Ryans’ secondary that has been recently beefed up after adding former Detriot Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah and Carolina Panthers cornerback CJ Henderson during the early days of free agency.

Paired with 2022 first-round draft pick Derick Stingley Jr. and veteran Desmond King II, defensive backs coach Dino Vasso has a talented group to deploy against the passing game next season.

Isaiah Thomas returns to the Phoenix Suns

Isaiah Thomas is headed back to the Phoenix Suns by way of a 10-day contract.

It has been over two years since Isaiah Thomas last suited up for an NBA game and almost 10 years since he last donned a Phoenix Suns jersey. On Saturday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Suns offered Thomas a chance to officially return to the professional ranks after the former Washington Huskies star played four games with the Salt Lake City Stars.

During his brief stint with the Utah Jazz G-League affiliate, Thomas averaged 33 points and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 94 percent from the free throw line. Now he will have a chance to provide a spark off the bench on a Phoenix team that could certainly use a boost.

The Suns are sitting in seventh place in the Western Conference, just on the outside of a guaranteed playoff spot and should turn to Thomas for some instant offense off the bench. During his first stint with Phoenix, Thomas averaged 15.2 points per game as one of the team’s top bench options before being dealt to the Boston Celtics at the trade deadline in 2015.

Thomas went on to be selected as an All-Star twice during his time with the Celtics while blossoming into a star. In his second stint with the Suns, he has a chance to help bring their star-studded roster back to the postseason.

Vita Vea can officially stake his claim as the NFL’s best defensive tackle in 2024

After Aaron Donald’s retirement, Vita Vea can assert himself as the league’s best defensive tackle.

“Quarterbacks rejoice,” the Los Angeles Rams said on X (formerly Twitter) as future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald announced his retirement from the NFL after 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year leaves a large void in the league, as for the first time since 2017, a debate can be had about who the best defensive tackle in the NFL is. One person who certainly has a claim to that crown is former Washington Huskies star Vita Vea.

Since he was drafted with the No. 12 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018, he has been a disruptive force. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2021 after recording 4 sacks and signed a four-year, $73 million extension following the conclusion of the regular season.

Since signing the deal, he has only gotten better. Vea tallied a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2022 and in 2023, set career-best marks in tackles (41) and tackles for loss (8) while still earning 5.5 sacks. He also led the Buccaneers to the No. 5 run defense by yards allowed last year.

Vea has always been one of the best at collapsing the pocket even if he is never among the leaders at the position in sacks and he should continue to build on his success in 2024.

Even though he has to compete with players like the Baltimore Ravens’ Justin Madubuike and the Kansas City Chiefs’ Chris Jones who have better counting stats, Vea makes arguably the biggest impact of any defensive tackle in the NFL thanks to his ability against the run.

The 6-foot-4, 347-pound lineman is extremely hard to move in the run game and even when he isn’t the one making the tackle, is consistently creating opportunities for his teammates to make plays.

Now, Vea will have a chance to assert himself as the best defensive tackle in the league without Donald around and should take full advantage of that chance this fall.

Former Washington WR Dante Pettis re-signs with the Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears have decided to bring back former Washington Huskies wide receiver Dante Pettis.

The Chicago Bears are the talk of the NFL world after trading for wide receiver Keenan Allen while deciding what to do with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. As they decide between a new quarterback with that pick or Justin Fields, general manager Ryan Poles has decided to bring back former Washington Huskies wide receiver Dante Pettis on a one-year contract.

After being drafted in the second round by the San Francisco 49ers in 2018, Pettis has spent the last three seasons with the Bears. In 2022, he pulled in 19 receptions for 245 yards and 3 touchdowns before missing all of 2023 with an injury.

During his time at Washington, Pettis was a consensus First-Team All-American in 2017 and set an NCAA record with 9 punt returns for a touchdown. He finished his career with 153 catches for 2,256 yards and 24 touchdowns.

The Bears appear to be loading up on offense after adding Allen in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night and signing running back D’Andre Swift in free agency. Pettis should provide quality depth for Chicago while also acting as a returner.

Former Washington TE Will Dissly signs with LA Chargers

After being released by the Seattle Seahawks, it didn’t take long for Will Dissly to find a new home.

After being released by the Seattle Seahawks last week, former Washington Huskies tight end Will Dissly signed a three year, $14 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday, which will also pay him $10 million guaranteed. He was a salary cap casualty for the Seahawks and coach Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers jumped quickly to sign the six-year veteran.

A native of Bozeman, Montana, Dissly started his college career at Boise State before transferring to Washington in 2015 to join coach Chris Petersen after his freshman year. Mostly known as a blocking tight end, he elevated those skills under tight end coach Jordan Paopao, who recently began his second stint at UW under coach Jedd Fisch.

The Seahawks drafted Dissly in the fourth round of the 2018 draft, where he didn’t see much action after suffering injuries in his first two seasons in Seattle.

He signed a three-year, $24 million extension with the Seahawks in 2022 before he posted a career year of 34 receptions for 349 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was also the No. 15 blocking tight end per Pro Football Focus, finishing the season with a pass blocking grade of 83.5 and run blocking grade of 77.2.

On March 5, he was released by Seattle and it took just six days for him to strike a deal with the Chargers to be what could be an integral part of new offensive coordinator, Greg Roman’s scheme and a reliable security blanket for quarterback Justin Herbert.

Run game coordinator and tight ends coach Andy Bischoff should utilize Dissly to the fullest as the Chargers attempt to rebuild on what has been a mess of a roster in recent years.

Former Washington TE Drew Sample signs extension with the Cincinnati Bengals

Former second round pick Drew Sample signed a three-year extension with the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday.

Former Washington Huskies tight end Drew Sample signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract extension on Monday to stay with the Cincinnati Bengals. The native of Bellevue, Washington has spent his entire career in Cincinnati after the organization took him in the second round in the 2019 NFL draft.

During Sample’s time on Montlake, he played in 51 games totaling 46 receptions for 487 yards and 5 touchdowns while earning an All-Pac-12 honorable mention following his senior season.

The 6-foot-5, 256-pound tight end has been a solid contributor to head coach Zac Taylor’s blocking scheme. While he didn’t see the field much during his rookie season, he had his best year in 2020 where he recorded 40 receptions for 349 yards and a touchdown during quarterback Joe Burrow’s first season.

After a heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl to end the 2021 season, Sample didn’t see much of 2022 following a knee injury in week two against the Dallas Cowboys that ended his season prematurely.

Before the start of the 2023 season, he signed a one-year extension worth $1.2 million and quickly became the Bengals’ top tight end after Irv Smith Jr. was lost for the year. He also became a reliable safety valve for former Husky quarterback Jake Browning, who assumed the starting role after Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury.

Sample’s ability as a blocker could fit well new offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher’s plans, which seems to be signified by the team’s investment in him through 2026, and his stat line could benefit from Burrow’s return.

Former Washington safety Taylor Rapp signs extension with Buffalo

Former Washington Huskies safety Taylor Rapp signed a multi-year extension with the Buffalo Bills.

Former Washington Huskies safety Taylor Rapp signed a three year extension with the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday, worth up to $14.5 million. The three year starter with the Huskies was taken 61st overall by the Los Angeles Rams in 2019 and was part of coach Sean McVay’s 2021 Super Bowl winning team.

Rapp signed with Buffalo in March 2023 on a one year deal after spending four seasons with McVay and the Rams where he had some great moments, such as forcing a fumble of former Husky teammate running back Myles Gaskin in a 2020 game against the Miami Dolphins.

Last season was one of many successes and one very scary moment for Rapp, when he was hit by the New York Jets running back Breece Hall in week 11. He was taken by ambulance off of the field and avoided going to the hospital and treated for a neck injury in the locker room by the medical staff.

He returned to play against the Kansas City Chiefs on December 10 in a 20-17 victory for the Bills. After the injury, he finished the season strong allowing just 9 catches on 17 targets for 139 yards and 1 touchdown. He allowed a passer rating of 75.4, which was better than veteran safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, which probably cemented his new deal and possible starting role in coach Sean McDermott’s secondary next season.

Rapp finished out the season with an interception of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with a little over a minute left in the fourth quarter, clinching the win and AFC East title for Buffalo to send them to the postseason.

It seems that the former Husky has earned his way to his big contract and has made himself a valuable piece of newly hired defensive coordinator Bobby Babich’s scheme for the 2024 season in Buffalo.

Potential landing spots for former Washington TE Will Dissly

Former Washington Huskies tight end Will Dissly is looking for a new NFL home after he was released by the Seattle Seahawks.

As the NFL’s salary cap compliance deadline on March 13 approaches, many teams have made some surprising cuts, including the Seattle Seahawks, who let go of former Washington Huskies tight end Will Dissly on Tuesday. The Bozeman, Montana native was drafted by the Seahawks in the 4th round and spent six years in Seattle, signing a three-year, $24 million extension in 2022.

As a free agent, Dissly should have plenty of suitors, with one potential landing spot being the Los Angeles Chargers. Coach Jim Harbaugh’s team has a huge need at the position, with the oft-injured Gerald Everett and former XFL star Donald Parham Jr. combining for a meager 696 yards last season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are also in need of another weapon for quarterback Trevor Lawrence and some depth behind tight end Evan Engram. Dissly would fit nicely into that second slot, replacing Luke Farrell, who had just 13 receptions for 155 yards in 2023.

However, the best fit for Dissly might be the Baltimore Ravens. He could shine playing alongside Mark Andrews in an offense that is built around a run game and short passing. Dissly could help as a run blocker while Andrews and Isaiah Likely handle the majority of the receiving work at the position.


With tight end being such a need for many teams across the league, it shouldn’t take long for Dissly to find a new home.