Tag: Pro Ducks

Ryan Walk accepts invite to rookie mini-camp with Jacksonville Jaguars

Ryan Walk accepts invite to rookie mini-camp with Jacksonville Jaguars

Former Ducks offensive lineman Ryan Walk was unable to sign with an NFL team as an undrafted free agent, but he did accept an invite to the rookie mini-camp for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

As a local kid who went to Sheldon High School, Walk joined the team as a walk-on player in 2017, utilizing his redshirt as a freshman. He played sparingly in 2018 and 2019 and then became a full-time starter at right guard in the 2020 season. Throughout 2021 and 2022, Walk was a main-stay on the offensive line for the Ducks, and was one of the leaders of a unit that was arguably the best in the nation last season.

At 6’3″ and 295 pounds, Walk may have some bulking up to do in order to play on the interior offensive line against NFL defensive linemen, but hopefully, he’s up to the task.

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Chase Cota signs with Detroit Lions as UDFA

Chase Cota signs with Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent.

Now that the 2023 NFL draft has come to a close, some players that weren’t fortunate enough to have their names called in Kansas City will begin to sign with teams as undrafted free agents. One of those players is former Oregon Ducks wide receiver, Chase Cota, who is now a Detroit Lion.

Chase Cota surprised a lot of Oregon Ducks fans in 2022. After coming from UCLA as a 3-star transfer there wasn’t much expectation that he would have a large role in the team’s offense.

Last year Cota caught 36 passes for 497 yards receiving, which were the best marks of his career. In the fourth game last year against Washington State, Cota broke onto the scene as a high-caliber Ducks receiver. He caught 7 passes that game for 84 yards. His best game, however, came against Oregon State — something not a lot of players from last year’s team can say — grabbing nine passes for 136 yards and a touchdown.

Hopefully, Cota will be able to translate those big games to the NFL and break into the Lions’ roster. While he doesn’t have the usual athletic traits to be a top WR, Cota still has speed to offer on the outside, and is 6’3″. At Oregon’s Pro Day back in March, Cota ran a 4.50 40-yard dash, making him the fastest Duck of the day.

The Lions and Jared Goff are in desperate need of depth at their offensive skill positions. Besides Amon-Ra St. Brown and D’Andre Swift, their offense lacks talent, which could give Cota a chance to break into an NFL lineup.

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Jordan Riley becomes the newest member of the New York Giants

Jordan Riley becomes the newest member of the New York Giants, drafted in the seventh round.

The New York Giants just drafted former Oregon Ducks’ DL, Jordan Riley. Riley was expected to go undrafted and be signed as a free agent, but he ended up being selected with the 26th pick in the 7th round, which was the 243 pick overall.

Last year, the Giants’ D-line was bottom 10 in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus, so drafting an edge rusher makes sense for them. Now Ducks fans will hopefully have the pleasure of seeing Jordan Riley and Kayvon Thibodeaux rush opposing QBs at the same time.

At Oregon’s Pro Day back in March, Riley ran a 5.28-second 40-yard dash. That’s not fast for an edge rusher by any means, but Riley makes up for his lack of speed with his size and strength, weighing in at 340 pounds and standing tall at 6′ 5″.

Riley came to Oregon from Nebraska in 2022. He played there for two seasons, and before that played his freshman season at North Carolina.  Last season, he tallied 21 total tackles as a member of Dan Lanning’s defense, which was more than he had in any of his other seasons combined.

Jordan Riley’s selection definitely comes as a surprise, but a welcome one for him and Duckls fans alike.

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Projected Salary and signing bonus for New Carolina Panther LB, DJ Johnson

Projected Salary and signing bonus for New Carolina Panther LB, DJ Johnson

DJ Johnson just became the second Oregon Duck taken in the 2023 NFL draft. He was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 17th pick of the 3rd round, and the 80th pick overall.

As a Duck, Johnson collected 64 total tackles with 39 of them coming last year. At the combine, Johnson ran a 4.49 40-yard dash, which is quick for an edge rusher. Scouts have also identified that his ability to jump off of the line post-snap is quicker than most, especially on third downs.

The 80th pick in last year’s draft was Greg Dulcich, a tight end taken by the Denver Broncos. Dulcich made $849,000 last year under a contract valued at $5.2 million to be paid out over the next four years, per OverTheCap.

This year it seems Johnson will be a bit luckier. His contract is valued at $5.6 million and he will receive a signing bonus of $1.1 million. If Johnson is paid the same share of his contract as Dulcich was in 2023, he will make $914,000 next season.

Since the departure of Luke Kuechly, the Panthers have been in desperate need of a good linebacker. Only time will tell if that LB will be DJ Johnson, but hopefully, he will be the change that the Panthers’ defense needs.

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Los Angeles Chargers once again draft with Justin Herbert in mind

The Los Angeles Chargers have their QB. Over the past few years, they’ve done a great job of drafting offensive pieces around him.

Justin Herbert will have a new wide receiver at his disposal for 2023. Quentin Johnston, former star WR for the TCU Horned Frogs was just selected by the Chargers, with the 22nd pick in this year’s NFL draft. giving the former Oregon Ducks’ QB a nice weapon to add to the skill position group.

Last year, TCU had one of the most prolific offenses in the country and it led them to the National Championship game, though they ultimately lost to the Georgia Bulldogs. Johnston played a large role in that success catching 60 passes last season, which amounted to 1069 yards receiving and 6 TD.

Johnston, who stands tall at 6’3″ and weighs in at 208 lbs, ran a 4.49 40-yard dash time at his Pro day. That’s not blow-you-away speed, but his biggest strength is his ability to get up and bring down contested catches, due to his large frame.

When Herbert was drafted in 2020, he came into an offense with two-star wideouts: Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Allen and Williams are still important members of the Chargers’ offense, but they both have been plagued with injuries in recent years and have seen overall production go down.

The Chargers have done well to draft offensive linemen to put in front of Herbert over the last couple of years, with OT Rashawn Slater and OG Zion Johnson in the last two years.

Perhaps, with the addition of Johnston, the Chargers’ receiving corps can gain some consistency, and Herbert can have a reliable WR to target in the always-tough AFC West.

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LOOK: Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez shows off his draft day fit on the red carpet

To nobody’s surprise, Christian Gonzalez was dressed to impress at the 2023 NFL Draft.

For the dozens of players who are in Kansas City on Thursday night, waiting to hear their names called during the first round of the NFL Draft, it is an important time. Not only is it critical that they stay patient, calm, and collected, but also that they keep clean, and look as fresh as possible.

Over the years, the draft has become more and more of a spectacle for the players involved, as they try to put their most stylish foot forward and dress to impress. Whether it’s tailored suits with special hidden messages hidden in the lapels, or flashy jewelry and jeweled-lined shoes, it’s clear that the fashion we see every year at the draft has become one of the main attractions.

Oregon Ducks’ cornerback Christian Gonzalez is in Kansas City tonight, expecting to hear his name called relatively early in the draft.

It shouldn’t surprise you that he dressed nicely for the occasion, but as you would expect, his fit was classy and measured, rather than extravagant and bold.

The cream-colored, double-breasted suit with a white button-up and no tie underneath is a classy look. For a player who is relatively reserved and confident, it’s not a surprise at all to see Gonzalez leave a bit of the flamboyance to the others.

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Twitter Reaction: Dillon Brooks ejected after groin shot to LeBron James

Days after calling LeBron James old and saying he didn’t respect him, Dillon Brooks got ejected for hitting LeBron below the belt, literally.

If your bingo card had Dillon Brooks taking a cheap shot to the groin of LeBron James about 48 hours after saying that he didn’t respect the NBA legend and calling him old, then you win.

To be honest, it would be hard to script something so perfect.

On Thursday night, the former Oregon Duck star made headlines by getting into a bit of a scrap with LeBron on the court and then making some outlandish remarks about him off of the court.

“I don’t care. He’s old,” Brooks said when asked about James. “I poke bears. I don’t respect someone until he gives me 40.”

Brooks didn’t give LeBron a chance to give him 40 points on Saturday night, because Dillon was out of the game shortly after the third quarter began. Of course, this led to quite the high comedy on Twitter, with the basketball world once again poking fun at Brooks.

Here are some of the best reactions.

Ducks in the NBA: Bol Bol struggles, Eugene Omoruyi finds new home

There are a handful of Oregon Ducks contributing at the NBA level this season, although injuries are impacting many of the big names.

It was a disappointing season for the Oregon Ducks on the hardwood this season, but for hoops fans in Eugene at least there are a handful of alumni playing at the NBA level.

Dillon Brooks has been the Ducks player in the news most often this season, although usually for his antics on the court rather than his play on the court – which has been disappointing for the most part this year.

Elsewhere, Payton Pritchard is still with Boston despite requesting a trade before the deadline, Chris Duarte is still dealing with ankle injuries that have plagued him for two years, and Bol Bol’s tantalizing potential is marred by inconsistent play.

It all seems so familiar, which is why it’s no surprise that Chris Boucher is posting almost the exact same stat line from last year again this season.

There are some differences, namely Eugene Omoruyi’s team and the emergence of Troy Brown as a starter, but otherwise it’s a lot of familiarity in our latest update on Ducks in the NBA:

9 Oregon Ducks expected to contribute to MLB clubs in 2023

The Oregon Ducks have nine former players expected to be contributors in the MLB, which begins on Thursday.

Football and basketball rule the college athletics landscape, often leaving baseball (and softball) as the forgotten sports of the spring season.

For the Oregon Ducks, it can be a missed opportunity to see high level athletes both in Eugene and across the Pac-12, a conference that excels in both sports.

It’s also a chance to see future big league stars, as evidenced by the high number of pros the Ducks have cycled through the baseball program in recent years.

A quick look at Fangraphs’ 2023 projections shows nine Oregon alumni who are projected to make a difference in the big leagues this season, with first pitch slated for Thursday, March 30.

Oregon has primarily succeeded at developing pitching, with seven of the nine big leaguers coming from the mound and only two at the plate.

Below is a look at those nine players, when they played at Oregon, and how they are projected to perform this upcoming season:

Atlanta Falcons release former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota

The Atlanta Falcons released former Oregon Ducks superstar quarterback Marcus Mariota, making him a free agent.

The Atlanta Falcons released former Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota on Tuesday, ending his tenure with the squad after just one season.

Mariota signed with Atlanta last offseason, reuniting with former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith at Tennessee, who took the head coaching job with the Falcons.

The 29-year-old was starting for the first time since 2019 after spending a few years as a backup to Derek Carr in Las Vegas. He went 5-8 in 13 games before getting benched for rookie Desmond Ridder and finishing the year on the injured reserve with a knee injury.

All told, Mariota threw for 2,219 yards with 15 touchdowns, nine interceptions, and a 61.3 % completion rate.

Mariota will now look to catch on with his fourth NFL team this offseason, and quite frankly a starting job may be hard for the former Oregon star to find.

His best bet may be to secure a backup job with a team that has an oft-injured quarterback, which could afford him the opportunity to step in as needed during the regular season.

Mariota won the Heisman Trophy in 2014 after throwing for 42 touchdowns and just four interceptions while leading the Ducks to a Rose Bowl victory over Florida State.

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