Todman has big night for Jaguars

With a wave of cuts on the horizon it is now or never for the former UConn stars who are fighting to make it onto the regular-season roster.

Running back Jordan Todman continues to make a statement that he belongs by ripping off a scintillating 63-yard TD run as part of an eight-carry, 105-yard rushing performance in the Jaguars' 31-24 loss to Philadelphia.

With injuries limiting the preseason work of the Jaguars' top running backs, Todman has had plenty of chances to show what he is capable of and he is making the best of his situation. He is currently ranks third with 163 rushing yards in the preseason.

"Any opportunity I get, my goal is to score and make a big play," Todman said in a post on the Jaguars official site. "I’m definitely trying to take advantage of every opportunity. I leave it on the field every day.”

In the same game rookie cornerback Dwayne Gratz intercepted his second pass of the preseason which ties him with three other players for the preseason lead.

As for other UConn products in action:

Donald Brown rushed five times for 35 yards and Darius Butler had two tackles in the Indianapolis Colts' 27-6 win over Cleveland

Danny Lansanah had three tackles in the New York Jets' 24-21 overtime win over the New York Giants.

Nick Williams had two catches for 19 yards during the final scoring drive in Washington's 30-7 win over Buffalo.

Blidi Wreh-Wilson had a tackle and pass breakup in Tennessee's 27-16 win over Atlanta. Robert McClain had solo tackles for the Falcons.

Kendall Reyes had a pair of solo tackles in San Diego's 24-7 win over Arizona.

Four more former Huskies could be in action when New Orleans plays Houston as Lawrence Wilson is a linebacker with the Saints and linebacker Trevardo Williams, tight end Ryan Griffin and receiver Michael Smith play for the Texans.

Also, up North former UConn TE John Delahunt had one catch for 18 yards as the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated Winnipeg 37-14.

Another memorable night for UConn alums

Danny Lansanah (47) celebrates with his New York Jets teammates
after making an interception against Jacksonville on Saturday.

On Friday it was Marcus Easley continuing to make a push for a roster spot with the Buffalo Bills and Saturday night fellow former Huskies Danny Lansanah certainly helped his chances of making the opening-day roster of the New York Jets with an impressive interception in a 37-14 win over Jacksonville. Lansanah also had a solo tackle in the game. For Jacksonville, Dwayne Gratz had three tackles while Jordan Todman ran six times for 13 yards.

Also, UConn's career sack leader Trevardo Williams recorded his first two quarterback sacks in Houston's 24-17 win over Miami. Ryan Griffin had three catches for 32 yards in the game for the Texans

Blidi Wreh-Wilson finished with two solo tackles in Tennessee's 27-19 loss to Cincinnati.

Also, in Canadian Football League action John Delahunt had his second touchdown catch of the season with a 1-yard TD grab in the first quarter in Hamilton's 37-18 win over Winnipeg and Larry Taylor had 166 all-purpose yards in Calgary's 26-22 loss to British Columbia.

Former UConn teammates cross paths in preseason game

Former UConn cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson
had three tackles in his NFL preseason debut

The NFL Network's whiparound coverage of tonight's preseason games stopped long enough to see a couple of matchups between former UConn teammates Nick Williams and Blidi Wreh-Wilson.

Williams, an undrafted rookie free agent receiver, had a pair of catches for six yards in the Washington Redskins 22-21 win over Blidi Wreh-Wilson and the Tennessee Titans.

Williams' first pro catch was a screen pass as he was dropped for a one-yard loss. Although Wreh-Wilson, a third-round pick of the Titans, did not get credit for the tackle on the play he was in the backfield and helped disrupt the screen. Williams later dropped a pass with Wreh-Wilson the closest defender.Williams had a seven-yard catch during Washington's game-winning scoring drive.

Wreh-Wilson finished with three solo tackles in his preseason debut.

The game is set to be aired on NFL Network on Monday beginning at 5 p.m.

Robert McClain had two tackles in Atlanta's loss to Cincinnati, Kendall Reyes had one tackle in San Diego 's loss to Seattle and Dan Orlovsky did not play in Tampa Bay's loss to Baltimore.

Former Huskies in action tonight

While the NFL's preseason schedule began last week with Dallas beating Miami in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, tonight will be the first chance for former UConn players to get in on the act.

It begins when Tampa Bay hosts Baltimore at 7:30 p.m. with Dan Orlovsky among the Buccaneer quarterbacks.

Cornerback Robert McClain, one of the most surprising performers during the 2012 season, and the Atlanta Falcons will host Cincinnati at 8 p.m. in a game being televised live by ESPN.

At the same time a pair of members from the 2012 UConn team will be on opposing teams as receiver/return specialist Nick Williams of the Washington Redskins could cross paths with cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson of the Tennessee Titans.

Defensive lineman Kendall Reyes and the San Diego Chargers will play Seattle at 10 p.m. and the game can be seen on the NFL Network beginning at 11 p.m.

Byron Jones eager to address new challenges

Just the trace of a smile appeared on Byron Jones' face as he contemplated the odyssey he will embark on in his third year as a starter in the UConn secondary.

Jones has been a playmaker at safety since earning a starting position as a redshirt freshman back in 2011. He even got to dabble a bit as a cornerback when starter Blidi Wreh-Wilson missed four games. Now he will get a more extended turn as a corner as the coaches made the decision to have him change positions following the graduation of Wreh-Wilson and Gratz.

"I was a corner in high school my junior year and I moved to safety my senior year so I didn’t get a lot of time there," Jones said. "Before that I was a quarterback so I didn’t play defense until my junior year. I still have a little bit of experience from freshman year playing corner and I’ll try to use that to carry over to the position this year."

Jones has been one of the most productive on the nationally-ranked UConn defense in the last two seasons. As a freshman he made 51 tackles and had two of the Huskies' 18 interceptions. He was third on the 2012 UConn team with 88 tackles so he will bring a physicality to the position. He is also an elite athlete as UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni said the only player he coached with a better vertical leap than Jones was former Syracuse receiver Rob Moore who posted three 1,000-yard receiving seasons in his 10 years in the NFL.

With the loss of six senior starters Jones is being asked to take on a larger leadership role as well.

"It is a position that I am happy to take and I have no problem with it so I am excited to get going," Jones said.

Jones believes he will benefit from being on the field with Gratz and Wreh-Wilson in the last two seasons as he saw how the two players, who were taken in the third round in April's NFL draft by Jacksonville and Tennessee respectively, not only played the cornerback position but also were able to shake off any lingering issues when they gave up a big play.

"Those guys were tough, physically tough, mentally tough, those guys didn’t break for anything," Jones said. "Corner, you are out there by yourself, you have your own island and you have to protect that island or else. That is one of the things I like about the position. There is a lot I need to do to be a good corner to put my name in the same sentence as Blidi and Gratz I have a lot to learn. I am excited for the work that is ahead of me."

The first steps will be taken tomorrow as UConn holds its first preseason practice.

Teggart keeping his NFL dreams alive

I took a ride up to Worcester earlier today so I could catch up with former UConn kicker Dave Teggart who hosted the first camp as part of the Teggart Total Kicking program he recently started with his father. A story on how he decided to become a kicking coach will appear in tomorrow's edition of the Register.

However, don't think for a minute that this endeavor means that he is giving up on his aspirations to be a kicker in the NFL.

Teggart impressed at a kicking showcase in Arizona in March which resulted in a tryout with the Seattle Seahawks. Although he was not signed by Seattle, he is hoping he opened enough eyes there to be on the radar when a team needs a kicker.

He was signed as a free agent by Chicago coming out of UConn and made it to training camp but he was unable to unseat the Bears’ incumbent kicker Robbie Gould. He spent six months in Los Angeles working out under former NFL kicker Michael Husted that culminated with an impressive showing at a showcase in March.

“Robbie Gould he is a great kicker,” Teggart said. “He is a great guy to learn from but competing against a guy like that, I think he is pretty safe there. It was a great learning experience, I learned from the best. I went to California and trained. At a showcase in Arizona in March, won the field goal portion and I ended up they flew me to Seattle for a workout.

“Hopefully I keep getting these workouts,” Teggart said. “All I can control is staying ready and be ready when I get the call.

“There are so many kickers out there and so few spots. I have no illusions that it is easy. Obviously it is not the easiest position to make it, there are four quarterbacks, four linebackers for each position and for kickers there is only one. You have to get lucky and stay ready; you never know when the call is going to come. I will always stay in shape, always stay ready. I am still booming the ball. I am going to keep training forever, it is one of those things that I can use my abilities to help kids and keep myself in shape.”

Teggart said the biggest improvement he has made as a kicker has come on kickoffs since he knew that a kicker who struggled kicking the ball off has little chance to making it an NFL roster.

“I feel like I am kicking better than I ever have,” Teggart said. “At UConn I never really (kicked off) because we had Desi Cullen and he got it into the end zone every time and Chad (Christen) does very good kickoffs and I never really got the chance to showcase that ability. That is something I have improved upon; field goals have never been a problem for me it is just kickoffs. I am putting the kickoffs out of the end zone now and it is just a matter of getting into the right place at the right time, have somebody see me and take a chance on me.

Regardless of whether Teggart ever appears in an NFL regular-season game, his legacy in Connecticut was forever sealed when he blasted a 52-yard field goal against South Florida in the 2010 regular-season finale to kick the Huskies into a BCS game and showdown with Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.

“That was one of my favorite moments to be able to go to a BCS game like that,” Teggart said. “At the time when you are lining up you are not really thinking of all the things that go with it. You are like ‘man, I’ve got a kick here and I’ve got to treat it like an extra point. I have to put it through or we are going to lose.’ That whole experience, that whole Fiesta Bowl ride, that was something you will never forget.”

I also addressed some other UConn-related topics with Teggart including his take on seeing five of his former UConn teammates (Dwayne Gratz, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Sio Moore, Trevardo Williams and Ryan Griffin) taken in April's NFL draft.

"It goes to show everyone of those guys who were drafted are great people off the field as well," Teggart said. "I am really good friends with all of them and it just goes to show how much off the field matters as much as one the field. They are all great guys and they deserve everything they get. I wish them luck in the upcoming season."

When current UConn kicker Chad Christen missed four field goals in a loss to Temple, he told the media that Teggart was one of the first people to reach out to him.

"I have known Chad for a long time," Teggart said. "I have developed a great relationship with him over the time he was here, he was my holder for two years. He had a huge game winner against Louisville and believe me I was up on that screen watching. I was dying for him ‘hey, you’ve got to make it.’ When he did, I was going nuts. I was probably more excited than if it was me kicking it."

Finally here are Teggart's thoughts on his time at UConn.

"UConn was the best four years of my life," Teggart said. "It is indescribable what I think of that place, all the fans, everybody treated me great. Coach Edsall gave me a shot and Coach Pasqualoni when he came in he treated me very well. It has given me opportunities I wouldn’t have had any other place, I attempted more field goals than any other place in the country. UConn is a great place to be a field goal kicker, we were always in tight end games and we were always kicking field goals. I loved every minute at UConn."

What's next following impressive draft haul

With a program-record five players drafted and three others heading into NFL training camps, it's been a rather productive few days for the UConn football program.

The question now is what are the draft prospects for UConn in 2014?

At first glance the answer is that it will be nowhere like it was this year.

Dwayne Gratz, Sio Moore, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Trevardo Williams and Ryan Griffin came into their seniors seasons as known commodities since they have been making plays since they were freshmen or sophomores. It's not a huge shock that they caught the eyes of NFL scouts. Nick Williams, Michael Smith and Ryan Wirth, who are heading into training camps as undrafted signees, all had the talent and enough impactful moments to get invites from NFL teams.

Looking at the current group of UConn football seniors and it seems to be a different story.

Many of the seniors in line to start next season would be players like Taylor Mack, Tim Willman and Ryan Donohue who have been role players in the past. The most experienced seniors are defensive end Jesse Joseph and offensive linemen Jimmy Bennett, Kevin Friend and Steve Greene.

I took a look at the www.nfldraftscout.com site's 2014 NFL draft database and the players at the top of the positional rankings are Greene (the No. 61 rated offensive guard) and Cole Wagner (the 24th rated punter) which would make both of them free agents at best. Defensive end Tim Willman, defensive tackle Shamar Stephen, offensive linemen Friend and Tyler Bullock and running back Martin Hyppolite also are in the database. Obviously there's plenty of time for the UConn players to create waves but I would have to think that if the Huskies have a year similar to the one they just had that not too many scouts will be pursuing the veteran offensive linemen. However, if they turn the corner and emerge into a dominant offensive line, that will only help their chances to getting into NFL camps in 2014.

Recent history has shown that UConn's best showings in the NFL draft have come in odd numbered years with four players taken in both the 2009 and 2011 drafts and the five taken this season. That trend could be continuing in 2015.

I would have to think that linebacker Yawin Smallwood will be a sought after prospect with NFL prototype size. Defensive backs Ty-Meer Brown and Byron Jones and receivers Geremy Davis and Shakim Phillips could also emerge into NFL prospects.

Opportunity could be knocking for former Huskies

On the surface it appears that all three of the former UConn players drafted on Friday night are walking into pretty good situations.

Dwayne Gratz was the first of the trio to go when Jacksonville selected him with the 64th pick. Jacksonville's first-year head coach is former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley who built an outstanding defense around the play of a pair of physical cornerbacks.

Gratz was known as a willing and capable hitter during his tenure with the Huskies and without established stars at cornerback ahead of him, he has a chance to compete for a significant role as a rookie.


“He has to compete to do it,” Jacksonville general manager David Caldwell said in an interview posted on the team's official site. “He has the skill set to do it and we hope that he comes in and does it. Obviously that’s going to go around through the OTAs, mini-camp and through training camp.

“The best guy’s going to start, so it doesn’t matter if you’re a third round, first round, second round, or college free agent. I think the best guy’s going to start.”

Moore, who went to Oakland with the 66th overall pick, is walking into a team which lost two of its best linebackers. Philip Wheeler, who led the Raiders with 109 tackles during the 2012 season, signed as a free agent with Miami while former first-round pick Rolando McClain was released after some off the field issues. He was signed by Baltimore but recently made the news for the wrong reasons with another off the field incident.

Wreh-Wilson may have the toughest competition if he wants to earn a starting job as a rookie as the Titans return starting corners Jason McCourty and Alterraun Verner but assistant secondary coach Steve Brown believes Wreh-Wilson has the potential to make an impact as a rookie.


"He is a very athletic, talented player," Brown said in a video interview on the Titans' official site. "They did a real fine job of coaching him at UConn both the corners, both him and Gratz are very similar. The nice thing about him is he is athletic, he can play the ball in the air, he can play press, he can play off. He has really good reaction skills and he can run so it is going to be great working with him plus he is a very right young man, a very personable guy and he has never missed class so I don't have to worry about him missing a meeting."

Former Huskies taken in rapid succession

Dwayne Gratz moved his way up draft boards following the end of his college
career and ended up being the first UConn player taken in the 2013 NFL draft.

The first two rounds came and gone and none of UConn's NFL draft hopefuls heard their names called.

However, the hours of breathless anticipation ended in a flurry of activity with Dwayne Gratz, Sio Moore and Blidi Wreh-Wilson going within seven picks of each other early in the third round.

“I was nervous, anxious, everything,” Gratz said. “I was thinking about so much. I didn't where I was going to end up, what’s next chapter in my life. After watching a few cornerbacks got picked up it got even worse but once I got the call everything went away and I was excited.”

If Gratz was excited when his name was called, you could imagine his emotions when he saw Moore and Wreh-Wilson taken in rapid succession.

“It was exciting to see all of my teammates (drafted) because we all put in the hard work playing at UConn for five years and it was great to see them rewarded for their hard work,” Gratz said.

“We all wanted to see each other go high. It didn't matter who went first or who went last. We are all teammates and we all want to see each other do well. It felt good, I am not going to lie to you because I was always the underdog. A lot of people didn't know me, the type of player I was, the type of person I was and being able to be the first one it was an honor.”

When he wasn’t taken by the end of round two, Moore expressed his frustration on Twitter and vowed to play with a chip on his shoulder whenever he did get the call.

Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Sio Moore went five picks apart in the third round in the NFL draft

“It is what I am used to, the whole process just reinforced that,” Moore said of being overlooked. “I’m glad I came to Oakland Raiders, they know they go the best linebacker in the class and I am glad to be a part of that organization."

Moore said he jumped out of his seat when he saw Gratz's name pop up on the television screen just minutes before he realized a lifelong dream by being drafted.


"I did jump out of my chair, he knows what I feel like," Moore said.  "He is not a friend, he is not a teammate, he is my brother."

Many draft experts thought Wreh-Wilson would be the first UConn player taken and there was even a thought that he may join Donald Brown (the 27th pick of the 2009 draft) and the only first rounders to come out of UConn. However, Wreh-Wilson's agent told him to expect to go in the range where he was selected.


"My agent gave me a range and it was within the range that he gave me so I kind of knew what was coming my way," Wreh-Wilson said. "When 3 (Moore) and 7 (Gratz) went, I knew 5 was coming soon."

He knew that Tennessee had significant interest in him thanks to a conversation with a Tennessee scout during UConn's pro day.


"Before the pro day I was supposed to have a workout with them and they came to the pro day," Wreh-Wilson said. "While everybody  was on the bench, I wasn't on the bench because I did it at the combine but the area scout had told me he was disappointed I didn't work for him because Dwayne and I were supposed to do a workout. He said 'it kind of makes you look bad, this and that.' and I said 'I left like the pro day would be the best opportunity for me to show what I could really do.' They obviously had some concerns that I didn't work out for them  but at the end of the day they ended up picking me so  I am just glad they did."



Trevardo Williams, UConn's career sacks leader, was also considered a possibility to go in the third round but he will have to wait until Saturday to see which team selects him.

Two other players with Connecticut ties went in the third round. Meriden’s John Jenkins, a defensive tackle out of the University of Georgia, was taken with the 82nd pick by New Orleans while New London’s Jordan Reed, a tight end out of Florida, was taken by Washington with the 85th pick

Anxious couple of days for UConn's NFL draft hopefuls

Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Sio Moore lead the list of former
UConn players expected to be taken in the NFL draft.

All the workouts and interviews are in the books, the countless hours of film study are also complete and now it is finally time for the NFL draft.

For a handful of former UConn players it is a couple of days they won't soon forget.

It's a foregone conclusion that cornerbacks Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh-Wilson, linebacker Sio Moore and defensive end Trevardo Williams will heat their names called but the question is which day and by what team.

Donald Brown is the only UConn player to be taken in the first round when the Indianapolis Colts selected him with the 27th overall pick in the 2009. Will he have some company after all 32 first-round picks are announced tonight?

Wreh-Wilson figures to have the best shot of going in the first round although most of the pre-draft databases have him slated as a second rounder. There have been mock drafts with Wreh-Wilson going late in the first round so that means a long night of watching and wondering for the two-time UConn captain as the first round is held tonight. Tomorrow figures to be a special day in UConn football history with as many as four Huskies going by the end of the third round. The NFL draft marathon ends on Saturday with rounds 4-7.

The NFL Network's Mike Mayock, considered by many to be the best NFL draft analyst in the business, has Moore as his top-rated UConn prospect at No. 64 in his final pre-draft Big Board which is two spots ahead of Wreh-Wilson and eight ahead of Gratz.

This draft is intriguing on a variety of levels for the UConn prospects. Of course you have the story line surrounding whether Wreh-Wilson or perhaps even Moore could sneak into the end of the first round and then will four Huskies be gone by the end of day two or will one of them have to wait. Finally, you have players like tight end Ryan Griffin and linebacker Jory Johnson would have a chance to hear their names called late in the draft or at least will get signed as free agents. They could have company as receivers Michael Smith and Nick Williams, tight end John Delahunt and offensive guard Adam Masters are in some draft prospect databases.

Barring a stunning development, there will be a player from Connecticut taken in the first round tonight - kind of. Bjoern Werner out of Florida State is one of the top defensive ends available in the draft and his football career began at Salisbury. As for the former Connecticut public school stars, I would guess that Georgia defensive tackle John Jenkins, who played at Maloney High in Meriden, will be the first one taken. Jenkins' situation is similar to that of Wreh-Wilson as he figures to go either late in the first round or in the second round. Other Connecticut natives to keep an eye on are Florida tight end Jordan Reed out of New London and Rutgers receiver Mark Harrison from Stratford who are projected to go between rounds 3-5.

Former NFL GM impressed with UConn prospects

                                                                                                                          (Associated Press photo)
Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Sio Moore could be taken in second round in the upcoming NFL draft

I reached out to Senior Bowl Executive Director Phil Savage, the former general manager of the Cleveland Browns for a couple of NFL Draft preview stories I am working on and I thought I would share some of his thoughts on the UConn players expected to be taken in the NFL draft.

Savage got to see cornerbacks Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh-Wilson and linebacker Sio Moore as they all played in the Senior Bowl. Defensive end Trevardo Williams was also selected to play in the Senior Bowl before an ankle injury sidelined him but Savage was at the NFL scouting combine so he was able to see Williams put on an impressive show there.


"I was impressed with UConn’s prospects with those two (Gratz and Wreh-Wilson) and then Sio Moore who was a late add to our game and Trevardo Williams fits and he draws interest from teams who runs a 3-4 and the kid from Mobile Jory Johnson who actually played (in the Raycom Classic) who will probably end up being a free agent or a late-round pick at most. They are a good team to watch because they play a pro-style system under Paul (Pasqualoni). Most teams have one defensive back in the whole group that is a possibility of being drafted and they are going to have two corners and maybe even three linebackers too.

                                                                                          (Associated Press photo)
Dwayne Gratz, seen during the NFL combine, is one of four former UConn
players who could be taken in the first four rounds in the NFL draft.

"I thought Sio really elevated himself. He was a late addition to the game. He came in, was vocal, played with a lot of energy and really showed up in the game itself. He filled up the stat line. There were times when the tape of the season doesn’t match up with what we saw at the Senior Bowl practices and in the game. The positive is he definitely has the capability and I think he can fit in either scheme. I think he is scheme friendly as a 4-3 Mike (middle linebacker) or Will (weakside linebacker) or in a 3-4. I personally don’t see him as a pass rusher. I think he is a better blitzer than rusher but he will play on special teams and I think he is a good worthwhile prospect and I would venture to guess somewhere in the third or fourth round area as well based on what he did at the Senior Bowl and he had a good combine too, he tested well there. The tapes didn’t always reveal the ability he had but at the combine he stood out.

"He is 240 so he is big enough to play inside the box, he has enough quickness to blitz, he uses his hands well and he seems to have a nose for the ball. He has a knack for showing up around the ball and I think he drew quite a bit of attention this spring."

Williams was only able to go through one day's worth of drills before his ankle injury sidelined him. Ironically, Moore was brought in to take his spot on the roster.

"Unfortunately for him, he came in and had a little bit of a bum ankle before he got here and was only able to practice one day," Savage said. "I did watch a bit of tape on him during the season. He plays defensive end there and I think he projects well as a 3-4 outside linebacker. I don’t think he can be a full time defensive end in the NFL, he is not big enough but as a 3-4 outside backer he’s got some good qualities. He has good acceleration, good first step off the edge, he plays hard especially when he gets a whiff of the quarterback he seems to be able to finish the deal. I am not sure how he has worked out this offseason. I wasn’t privy to how his workouts went in terms of position drills went as an on his feet linebacker but based on his pass rush skill and the fact that he does look like he moves around pretty well I would think that he is going to be a mid-round guy for somebody looking for a 3-4 outside backer that might be a good developmental candidate."

Savage sees Wreh-Wilson as the better prospect among the two UConn corners although he is impressed with Gratz as well.


"I think with Blidi he has height, he has long arms, I think he is a good athlete but I think at times he can get a little leggy in terms of his change of direction. He is going to be attractive to those teams looking for the taller corner with long arms. My impression of him based on conversations with scouts in the league is that he is somewhere in the second or third round area. I know in some of the mock drafts, at least early on, they were putting him in the first round but I don’t think he is going to go in the first round. I think he is more of a second-round corner that will play on the outside. I don’t think he is necessarily a nickel or slot corner, I think he is more of an outside, cover 2 zone style corner.

"Dwayne Gratz he is physically built, he has some explosiveness in his body. For a vertical standpoint, he is a little tight in terms of the change of direction stuff. The good news is he is big enough and physical enough of being a safety if it doesn’t turn out at corner. I think he is another prospect who fits a bigger corner who plays predominantly cover two. He is a willing run supporter. He is a good prospect. I think he is rated a little lower than Blidi based on the conversations I’ve had and based what he did in the Senior Bowl game because he is a little tighter athletically. I think he is probably a third or fourth round."

Finally, I asked him about Meriden's John Jenkins, a defensive tackle out of Georgia, who could very well be the top Connecticut native taken in the draft.

"I like John," Savage said. "I went during training camp in August and watched all of their practice reps and pass rush because Georgia would take him out when it was a passing situation his junior year and even a lot his senior year. He was kind of an early down run defender and when I watched those practice videos, the one on ones in the pass rush and based on what he did at the Senior Bowl in the pass rush drill, I think he has a chance and I think he offers more than maybe what he has gotten credit for by some of the scouts. An obvious comparison is Terrence Cody who played at Alabama and ended up in the second round to the Ravens (with the 57th pick in the 2010 draft). I do the broadcasts for Alabama and I know Cody well but personally I like John Jenkins more. I think he is a better athlete, I think he has a better body. I think he gives you more potential in pass rush. I think he will go a little earlier than that (57th pick). I will be disappointed if he doesn’t. He is an ideal 3-4 nose candidate."

Ryan Griffin moves up at least one draft board

                                                                                  (Associated Press photo)
Ryan Griffin, seen making a catch against South Florida as a senior, moved
up 10 spots to be rated as the No. 17 tight end by the NFL Draft Bible site.

The NFL Draft Bible site released its final "Big Board" for the upcoming NFL draft and of the 10 UConn products on the list nobody made a bigger jump than Ryan Griffin who moved up 10 spots and was ranked as the 17th best tight end in the draft. Grffin's jump enabled him to go from being a projected free agent to be a seventh rounder.

Sio Moore is the highest rated UConn player as he is the No. 5 outside linebacker (up one spot from the most recent list) and Adam Masters moved from No. 83 to 81 among offensive guards.

Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Trevardo Williams held steady as they came in as the No. 8 cornerback and No. 9 outside linebacker while Dwayne Gratz fell two spots to the No. 16 CB and receivers Michael Smith (from 78 to 80) and Nick Williams (112 to 113) fell slightly.

Among the non-UConn in-state natives, the player to make the biggest jump going from being the No. 20 to No. 15 wide receiver.

The site ranks players by position and projects which round the player will go in. Moore leads the way as a projected second rounder, Williams and Wreh-Wilson are second or third rounders with Gratz going in the fourth round.

The NFL Network's Mike Mayock released his top 100 prospects recently and three Huskies made the list.

Moore checks in at No. 64, two spots ahead of Wreh-Wilson with Gratz rated No. 72 overall. Georgia defensive tackle John Jenkins out of Georgia is rated as a potential second-round pick by the NFL Draft Bible site and is Mayock's No. 71 overall prospect.

Plenty of Huskies on NFL Draft Bible's Big Board

                                                                     (Associated Press photo)
Blidi Wreh-Wilson (left) and Sio Moore are both projected to be second-round
 selections in the NFL Draft Bible database which was released on Thursday.

The NFL Draft Bible site released one of the largest databases of draft prospects with 10 members of the 2012 UConn team among those prospects listed.

The list of more than 1,500 players is done by position. Sio Moore, who was the No. 6 outside linebacker Blidi Wreh-Wilson (No. 8 CB) and Trevardo Williams (No. 9 OLB) were the only UConn products to crack the top 10 at their position. A total of 10 Huskies are on the list (actually the number is 11 but Jesse Joseph is listed as the No. 69 defensive end and he is still a member of the Huskies).

Here's the list:
Rank Player Position  Projected round
6 Sio Moore OLB                   2
8 Blidi Wreh-Wilson CB          2
9 Trevardo Williams OLB      2/3
14 Dwayne Gratz CB            2/3
27 Ryan Griffin TE                 FA
45 Jory Johnson OLB           FA
68 John Delahunt  TE            FA
78 Michael Smith WR           FA
83 Adam Masters OG           FA
112 Nick Williams WR          FA

Also listed is former UConn safety Jerome Junior is the No. 50 listed strong safety, the University of New Haven has three players listed as Ryan Osiecki is the 68th quarterback, Kameel Lashley is the 70th rated tight end and Jason Thompson is 159th at the wide receiver position. New Haven native Jeremy Moore out of Georgetown is the 95th rated cornerback sack, Meriden's John Jenkins out of Georgia is No. 5 defensive tackle while Rutgers receiver Mark Harrison out of Stratford is 20th at his position.

Adams in line for expanded role

The move of starting safety Byron Jones has been a popular story line during UConn's spring practice but if not for the emergence of Andrew Adams, it's unlikely that the Huskies' coaching staff would be able to make such a move.

Adams was a relative unknown heading into fall camp in 2012 but as he continued to make plays his time on the field. It didn't take long for Adams to make an impact as his first tackle went for a 9-yard loss in the season-opening win over UMass and he had back to back five-tackle games against  Maryland and Western Michigan.

Adams made 23 tackles including two behind the line of scrimmage, he recovered a fumble against Rutgers and broke up four passes playing mostly in the five and six defensive back formations. Now he has a chance to have a more expanded role as he is vying for a starting safety spot next to Ty-Meer Brown.

"I am still trying to get a lot of the assignments down but everything has been going good," Adams aid after Saturday's practice. "The biggest adjustment is a new playbook, have a new defensive coordinator (Hank Hughes) so it is kind of mixed between last year and this year.

"I'm just focusing on my assignments, doing what I am supposed to do, being in the right position and all the stuff goes a long way so if you do the little things right you will find the field and you will get a decent amount of playing time."

With the graduation of cornerbacks Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh-Wilson, who both could be taken by the end of the second day in the NFL draft, and a lack of size among the top returning cornerback candidates the decision was made to move Jones to corner.

"Byron is a good player and I guess they felt like we needed him at corner so of course that moved me up but I am just trying to make the best of my situation," Adams said. "We weigh the same, he might be a little taller but I might be a little more physical but Byron is a great player."

So what will Adams try to bring to the defense if he earns a starting spot?

"I try to be as physical as I can," Adams said. "I try to play hard and play fast."

He is also excited about the potential of a Connecticut defense which lost six starters including four expected to be taken in the NFL draft later this month.

"I think this group can be just as good as last year, I really do," Adams said. "If we keep pushing and do what we’ve been doing day in and day out and I think we can be better than last year, I really do."

Sio Moore to 49ers, Blidi Wreh-Wilson to Eagles in mock draft

The NFL Draft Bible released a 75-pick mock draft this morning and thought it was interesting that they had Sio Moore as the first UConn product off the board going 34th overall to the San Francisco 49ers while Blidi Wreh-Wilson wasn't picked until the third round as he went No. 67 to Philadelphia.

I know these mock drafts a little more than interesting fodder but figured I would pass it on.

Looking back at Pro Day

                                                                                      (Associated Press photo)
Former UConn teammates Nick Williams and Sio Moore share a laugh
during a break at Wednesday's Pro Day at UConn.

There's no question who the headliners are among the current group of former UConn stars taking part in pre-draft preparations.

There are some who believe that comeback Blidi Wreh-Wilson may have run his way into first-round consideration after a pair of impressive 40-yard dashes at UConn's Pro Day on Wednesday and linebacker Sio Moore have been soaring up the draft boards with eye-opening efforts in post-season all-star game. I have seen Dwayne Gratz rated higher among corners than Wreh-Wilson and Trevardo Williams certainly has the production as UConn's career sacks leader and dazzled at the NFL combine.

Likely the majority of the 29 teams represented at the NFL timing day were lured by the aforementioned quartet who all had scintillating efforts at the NFL combine. However, the Pro Day was a chance for some of the other Huskies to show what they could do.

Receivers Nick Williams and Michael Smith, linebacker Jory Johnson, offensive lineman Adam Masters and tight end Ryan Griffin were among the under the radar prospects who should at least be on the radar of the teams who made the trip to Storrs.

"I think a lot of these guys have long careers ahead of them and I am really excited for them," Nick Williams said.

"I think we will have a few guys drafted and we will have a couple of guys in camps. It just shows that UConn 10 years ago, that wasn’t the case and now you can see that you can make the professional ranks out of UConn and it is all a cycle."

While Gratz, Moore, Trevardo Williams and Wreh-Wilson already posted the numbers to catch the attention  of all the NFL teams regardless of what happened on Wednesday, that was not the case for their former UConn teammates.

"I woke up this morning and said this is really my opportunity to show so I wanted to come out here and have a good day. I think I did pretty well in the weight room and with some other stuff," Johnson said. "Hopefully I did as well as I could, I have been planning for this for a few months. It was great being out there with those guys, they did a great job at the combine and we really showed what kind of players we had.

"I've been very busy, it's a lot of hard work. A lot of us were real dedicated, we want this so bad so we put a lot of work into it. You saw it (Wednesday) and you saw it at the combine.

"It has been kind of shocking. I heard a lot of scouts were going to be here but then you see all of these guys out here and it is not every day that this many teams come to UConn. It was great. There are a lot of guys out here who didn’t get to go (to the combine or all-star games) so it was good to show. I was real nervous to get out here and I am relieved that it is over, show what I can do and it is kind of out of my hands right now."

While the main objective was to dazzle the NFL scouts on hand, Wednesday's event brought out plenty of emotions as it is the last time UConn football's Class of 2012 will share a football field together.

"It is fun being back with the guys, just be loose and have fun even though there is some pressure on us, it is fun being back," Griffin said. "It is a good opportunity to show what we’ve got."

Huskies' pro prospects draw a crowd

Maybe it is because this was my first time at UConn's Pro Day and I was accustomed to having another three or four NFL teams at Yale's NFL timing day over the last few years, but I came away extremely impressed with what I saw today.

                                                          (Associated Press photo)
Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Sio Moore could be the first two
UConn players taken in April's NFL draft.

By the count of us media folks, the only teams not sending a scout, coach or player personnel rep to Storrs were Dallas (which is ironically the place head coach Paul Pasqualoni was working when he accepted the UConn job), Minnesota and Washington. Obviously the appearance of New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick created quite the stir but most of the waves were made by the Huskies.

The NFL combine stars (Dwayne Gratz, Sio Moore, Trevardo Williams and Blidi Wreh-Wilson) only did a select few drills because they posted such spectacular numbers at the NFL combine.

Wreh-Wilson did cause a few jaws to drop by running the 40 under 4.4 seconds according to a few of the unofficial times. His two 40s at the combine were so far apart that the scouts wanted him to show he had the elite speed necessary for a cornerback to be drafted in the first or second round.


"I just wanted to put a stamp on it," Wreh-Wilson said. "At the combine my hand time was a 4.47 and my second one wasn’t anything that I even wanted to talk about. The last two weeks, I went home for a couple of days and trained and I really wanted to put a stamp on it and show how fast I really am so there are no question marks."

The news was not as good for Trevardo Williams who was battling ankle, groin and back issues which flared up while doing the agility drills like the 3-cone drill and 60-yard shuttle.


"I gave them everything that I had and I just hope they appreciated it," Williams said. "I was a little concerned about how it was going to affect me especially after the shuttle and kind of tweaked it and I knew right them it wasn’t going to be a good run."

With UConn's top four pro prospects didn't take part in too many drills, that opened up a chance for some of the under the radar prospects to shine.

Nobody seemed to take advantage of that more than receiver Nick Williams as his strong day was highlighted by a 37-inch effort in the vertical jump.

Williams is better known as a dynamic punt and kickoff returner but if he is to make it in the NFL, he will need to do so at a slot receiver as well. The good news is that players like Davone Bess and Danny Amendola have done quite nicely for themselves as NFL slot receivers even though they went undrafted.

"I am not trail blazing right now, guys who are like me have been successful; guys who don’t run 4.3 have gone onto the NFL and have had great careers so you just have to put your mind to it, believe and hopefully you make the most of your opportunity," Williams said.

The day started with offensive guard Adam Masters and defensive tackle Ryan Wirth doing 33 reps at 225 pounds in the bench press.

Tight end Ryan Griffin also did pretty well for himself including a vertical jump of 34.5.


"I just wanted to prove that I deserved a shot at the combine and I deserve a shot in the league," Griffin said. "I feel like I did that. I could have done a little better in some of the areas but overall I am pretty happy with how I performed. I am going to get a shot whether I just sign in camp and hopefully I will hear my name called but either way you have to perform."

It made for a special day for this senior class which has endured some ups and downs over the years.

Tight ends Ryan Griffin and John Delahunt
work out during UConn's Pro Day


"I think we will have a few guys drafted and we will have a couple of guys in camps," Nick Williams said. "It just shows that UConn 10 years ago, that wasn’t the case and now you can see that you can make the professional ranks out of UConn and it is all a cycle. You don’t realize it but it is marketing for the program and even Johnny Mac (quarterback Johnny McEntee) when he makes a trick-shot video it gets five million views and that is five million people seeing the UConn facility so the publicity is a great thing for the program and to see those guys go out and perform on the stage and have (NFL Network drat guru) Mike Mayock and all of those guys talking up the program."

I still have to finish transcribing my tape, especially with the interviews with Moore and Jory Johnson so I will have more at some point but one last thing I found out today is that the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL already own tight end John Delahunt's rights so if the NFL doesn't come calling, the Ottawa native could find a home north of the border.

"I’ve talked to them and told them I was going to come down and give the NFL a try and they supported me in that and I will just see what happens after today," Delahunt said.

It's job interview time for former Huskies

                                                                                   (Associated Press photo)
Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Sio Moore and Trevardo Williams lead the list of UConn
products for the 2013 NFL draft. Nearly every NFL team is expected to send
representatives to today's pro day being held at UConn.

It was impossible to walk around the Burton Family Complex during the time that UConn was holding its most recent spring practice yesterday and not bump into one of the seniors from the 2012 squad.

I spotted Sio Moore, Adam Masters, Nick Williams and Michael Smith checking out the practice. They had a good reason to be back in town as they will
take part in UConn's annual pro day this afternoon.

Between strong showings in postseason all-star games or eye-opening efforts at the NFL combine, there is quite the buzz surrounding the UConn's pro prospects.

There may not be a player at any school who has upper his stock more since the season ended than Moore. He went from being an under the radar guy to being the No. 4 rated 4-3 outside linebacker by NFL Network's Mike Mayock. Blidi Wreh-Wilson is Mayock' No. 5 rated cornerback and Wreh-Wilson has been slotted in as a late first-round pick on previous mock drafts done by ESPN's Todd McShay. There are some, however, who rate Dwayne Gratz ahead of Wreh-Wilson in their pre-draft coverage. Trevardo Williams is another one of the former Huskies who put up scintillating testing numbers at the NFL combine. It's not out of the realm of possibility that all four of them could go somewhere in the top four rounds.

Considering how well they performed at the combine, I would not be the least bit surprised to see those four sit out many of the drills today since they have done more than enough to catch the eyes of NFL scouts. However, this is a huge day for players like tight ends Ryan Griffin and John Delahunt, offensive guard Adam Masters, linebacker Jory Johnson and receivers Smith and Williams.

UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni has encouraged all the 2012 seniors to take part because you never know who might catch the attention of the NFL scouts converging on UConn this afternoon.

Here is where the UConn players are ranked on CBS' NFLDraftScout.com database
Player                                 Pos      Posiiton Rank     Overall Rank      Projection
Dwayne Gratz                   CB               12                          86                    2nd-3rd
Ryan Griffin                      TE               22                        414                  Free agent
Jory Johnson                    OLB             34                         366                  Free agent
Sio Moore                        OLB              6                           66                     2nd
Michael Smith                   WR             91                        692                   Free agent
Trevardo Williams           OLB              8                           76                     2nd-3rd
Blidi Wreh-Wilson            CB              14                        101                     3rd

Pasqualoni pleased with first day of spring drills

UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni wasn't about to wait around any longer as he had the Huskies report bright and early for the first day of spring practice.

Players started rolling in between 5-5:30 this morning with practice getting rolling at 6 a.m. so not to impact with academic responsibilities.

We were only allowed to watch the first 30 minutes of the practice so there's not a heck of a lot to report.

One guy who caught my eye in the pass-catching drills was redshirt freshman receiver John Green and with Jimmy Bennett still working his way back following offseason shoulder surgery, Xavier Hemingway got first-team reps at left offensive tackle.

Defensive end Jesse Joseph and middle linebacker Yawin Smallwood were among the players limited to riding the stationary bike or getting on the cross trainer.


UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni said he liked what he saw on the first day.

"A lot of energy," Pasqualoni said. "I thought they did a good job on the first day of not flattening out. We made a few mistakes and this is the first day, there is a lot to improve on but I was very happy with the level of energy from everybody including the coaches. The coaches are running around after the kids and the kids are running around, it is the kind of environment you want."

With T.J. Weist the new offensive coordinator and Hank Hughes returning to the role of defensive coordinator, there are some new or somewhat new voices running the offense and defense.

"It is not all totally new, it is a lot of carry over with a lot of things that we are doing we have done here," Pasqualoni said. "We have two new coordinators, we are running our offense and we are running out defense but at the same time we have two new voices. I thought on both sides of the ball and we might as well include special teams because Kermit (Buggs) is new here too so the special teams aspect is new as well. With three new coordinators, (practice at) 6 a.m. in the morning I thought it was good."

There are plenty of holes to fill and a chance for young players to move into more prominent roles.

Leading the way of the positions of interest is cornerback. Starting safety Byron Jones was moved to corner to add some more size to that position.


"We needed some size there obviously. I wanted to get a 6-foot guy over there at one of those spots with the corner skill set," Pasqualoni said. "Byron does have some corner skills, we played him as a corner here two years ago but when Blidi (Wreh-Wilson) got hurt two years ago he did start and play the corner position so like a lot of guys on this team I know Byron Jones but I don’t know him well enough as a corner so that is what spring ball is all about. The same thing with Ellis Marder, we recruited him as a safety/corner combination and he has mono right now so he is very limited with what he is doing but I have to get to know him and see. They give you tall guys out there who match up on receivers."

Another player in the spotlight will be former Xavier High star Graham Stewart, who sat out last season after transferring from Florida who sat out last season due to NCAA regulations and wouldn't have been able to play regardless after injuring his shoulder in a freak weight-lifting mishap. Stewart figures to help fill the void left by the graduation of Sio Moore and Jory Johnson.

"I like his speed, his reactionary athleticism, his instinctive reactionary quickness today," Pasqualoni said. "There is no question that when we sees it he pulls the trigger, he is playing fast and hard so that was great to see but we have to see it over the long haul."

Pasqualoni was also happy with what he saw from starting quarterback Chandler Whitmer especially in the ball security department.


"What I was pleased with today was that we had a couple of turnovers but he didn’t turn it over so that is the other big issue going into spring is that we have to eliminate turnovers, we have to have good judgment with the ball and really take care of the ball," Pasqualoni said. "Coaches are really coaching the ball security thing. He handled things pretty well on the first day, he showed some good judgment and didn’t turn it over."

Casey Cochran did have two turnovers in a span of four plays but the former Masuk High star drew praise from Pasqualoni for being in much better shape than he was a year ago.

Pasqualoni said there is a comfort level with Whitmer returning as the starting quarterback.

"It is a big deal in the sense that Chandler was a first-year player last year," Pasqualoni said. "Obviously he has 12 tough games in him, he has been here now for a solid year and I think that showed with the way that he played. We are looking for Casey to be a little more comfortable as well. I think that part of it is good and I think it is a big deal for us."

Finally, senior running back Martin Hyppolite was at practice although he still needs crutches to get around after he injured his hip as he was the passenger in a vehicle involved in a recent car accident which resulted in the death of a New Hampshire judge.

"I had a long talk with him last night and he said he is feeling a lot better so he is rehab mode and it is going to be a while but he is getting everything mentally," Pasqualoni said. "When you are a running back and it is your hip it is tough because you are always cutting. It’s going to be at least until June until we can say ‘OK, he will be back on this date.’ We want to give it that amount of time."

More praise for Sio Moore

Former Cleveland Browns general manager, who is now the executive director of the Senior Bowl, was at the NFL scouting combine and released his "All-Combine" team.

UConn's Sio Moore was one of five linebackers to make the squad.

Also, in the take it for what it is worth" department, the Walter Football site released a five-round mock draft yesterday and four Huskies made the cut with each one going in rounds No. 2-5. Cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson, who has been listed as a first-round selection in mock drafts posted by ESPN's Todd McShay, was slotted to go in the second round to the Cincinnati Bengals with the 53rd overall pick. Moore was the next former Husky listed as he is predicted to be taken by Arizona with pick No. 69, cornerback Dwayne Gratz is next up going with the 116th pick to Washington while defensive end Trevardo Williams is slated to go with the 134th pick.

Also, UConn will open spring practice with a practice on Monday morning.