UConn Football in 2017 NFL Training Camps

With rookie reporting dates starting across the NFL and veteran reporting dates soon to follow, it’s time to look at how many former UConn Huskies football players will be taking part in training camps across the country.

As of today, 20 former Huskies will be trying to make the final 53-man rosters of their respective teams.

They are:

Andrew Adams (New York Giants): signed by the Giants as undrafted free agent in 2016 and originally on their practice squad, Adams joined the 53-man roster on September 23, 2016, and ended up playing in 14 games, making 13 starts. He racked up 46 tackles and one interception.

Darius Butler (Indianapolis Colts): entering his ninth season and sixth with the Colts, Butler was originally a second round draft pick of the New England Patriots back in 2009. In his eight seasons, Butler has 304 tackles and 15 interceptions, returning four of them for touchdowns.

Tyvon Branch (Arizona Cardinals): getting ready to start his 10th season in the NFL and second with the Cardinals, Branch was a fourth round pick of the Raiders in 2008. In nine seasons, Branch has 547 tackles, three forced fumbles and five interceptions with one returned for a touchdown.

Geremy Davis (Los Angeles Chargers): originally drafted by the Giants in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Davis was signed by the Chargers off the Giants practice squad and played in the final three games of the 2016 season. He played in 10 games for the Giants in 2015 and had two catches for 21 yards.

Deshon Foxx (New York Jets): Foxx has yet to crack an NFL roster since being signed as an undrafted free agent by the Seattle Seahawks in 2015. He ended up on the Seahawks practice squad for a few week late in the 2015 season but was released before the start of 2016 with an injury settlement and was signed to a futures contract by the Jets for this season.

Dwayne Gratz (Philadelphia Eagles): was a third round draft pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2013, Gratz over three seasons there before being released in October of 2016. He was picked up by the Los Angeles Rams where he played in three games before being released again. He signed a two-year deal with the Eagles last December. In his four seasons, Gratz has 119 tackles, two forced fumbles and five interceptions with one returned for a touchdown.

UPDATE 7/23: Gratz was released by the Eagles on Sunday.

Ryan Griffin (Houston Texans): a sixth round draft pick of Houston in 2013, Griffin has 99 career catches for 1,028 yards and six touchdowns in four seasons.

Byron Jones (Dallas Cowboys): was the 27th overall pick of the Cowboys in the 2015 NFL Draft. Over his two seasons in Dallas, Jones has played in all 32 games with 154 tackles, 19 pass deflections, one forced fumble and one interception.

Andreas Knappe (Atlanta Falcons): was signed by the Falcons as an undrafted free agent back in April of this year.

Richard Levy (San Francisco 49ers): was signed by the 49ers as an undrafted free agent back in April of this year.

Robert McClain (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): was a 7th round pick of the Carolina Panthers in the 2010 NFL Draft. The Bucs are his fifth team that he’s played on, including two stints with the Panthers. He didn’t play in 2011 after being cut by the Panthers and being picked up by Jacksonville. In his five seasons, McClain has 248 career tackles, 23 pass deflections, two forced fumbles and four interceptions. He also ended up starting in Super Bowl 50 and spoke with The UConn Blog about it.

Obi Melifonwu (Oakland Raiders) - A second round pick (56th overall) of the Raiders in the 2017 NFL Draft, Melifonwu’s prospects are bright in Oakland.

Sio Moore (Houston Texans): originally a third round pick of the Raiders in the 2013 NFL Draft, Moore was traded to Indianapolis in 2015. The Colts released him in 2016 after four games and he was picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs but only for a short while. He finished out the season in Arizona before signing with the Texans this offseason. In four seasons, Moore has 218 career tackles with 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.

Dan Orlovsky (LA Rams): Orlovsky just signed a one-year deal with the Rams on Thursday. He has played for four teams in his 11 years in the NFL, including two stints with the Detroit Lions. In those 11 seasons, he has played in 26 games with 12 starts. He is 298-of-512 for 3,132 yards with 15 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He was also featured on The UConn Blog podcast this past April.

Anthony Sherman (Kansas City Chiefs): Originally drafted in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Arizona, where he played two seasons, Sherman has spent the past four seasons with the Chiefs where he has been a special teams star and a blocking fullback. In his six seasons, Sherman has six carries for 14 yards and 49 catches for 382 yards and two touchdowns. He also earned 2nd team All-Pro honors in 2014.

Shamar Stephen (Minnesota Vikings): a seventh round pick of the Vikings in the 2014 NFL Draft, Stephen started in all 16 games last season and has played in 37 career games with 65 total tackles.

Noel Thomas (Detroit Lions): Thomas went undrafted in the 2017 NFL Draft after an outstanding four-year career in Storrs. He signed with the Lions as an undrafted free agent back in April of this year.

Jordan Todman (New York Jets): After being a 6th round pick by the San Diego Chargers in the 2011 NFL Draft, Todman is on his seventh team after signing with the Jets this past offseason. He had a couple of productive seasons for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2013-2014 but has only racked up 13 carries in the two years since.

Nick Williams (Atlanta Falcons): signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2013, Williams didn’t make the team but was signed to their practice squad before being elevated to the 53-man roster. He spent nine days on their practice squad in 2014 before being cut. He then joined the Falcons in 2015 and spent almost the entire 2016 season on their practice squad. In three NFL seasons, Williams has 25 receptions for 233 yards and two touchdowns.

Blidi Wreh-Wilson (Atlanta Falcons): a third round pick of the Tennessee Titans in the 2013 NFL Draft, Wreh-Wilson spent three years with the Titans before being waived prior to the start of the 2016 season. The Falcons picked him up in late 2016 where he played in one game and then re-signed with them for 2017. In 35 games over four seasons, Wreh-Wilson has 90 career tackles with 14 pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one interception.