The NFL is full-steam ahead with plenty of former Tennessee football players seeing action throughout the league. Rocky Top Insider takes a look at how the former Vols performed over the weekend.
Atlanta Falcons
Luke Stocker, TE — Stocker did not record any catches in the Falcons’ embarrassing 40-39 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday. Stocker is in his second year with the Falcons, and in his ninth year in the NFL.
Baltimore Ravens
Morgan Cox, LS —The Ravens beat the Texans 33-16 as Cox served as Baltimore’s long snapper. Cox is in his 10th season in Baltimore. He signed a five-year contract extension on March 7, 2016.
Nigel Warrior, S — Warrior is currently on the Ravens’ practice squad after an outstanding training camp in which he nearly made the team’s 53-man roster.
Buffalo Bills
Jason Croom, TE — Croom is currently on the Bills’ practice squad. Croom caught 22 passes for 259 yards and one touchdown for Buffalo in 2018 after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent. He missed last season with a hamstring injury, however. Buffalo initially cut Croom before bringing him back on their practice squad to begin this season.
Carolina Panthers
Michael Palardy, P — Palardy is out for the season with a torn ACL he suffered during the offseason. Palardy has been the Panthers’ punter since midway through the 2016 season.
Chicago Bears
Cordarrelle Patterson, RB/WR — Patterson carried the football seven times for 25 yards for the Bears in Chicago’s 17-13 Week 2 win over the Giants. Patterson also caught two passes for eight yards.
Tyler Bray, QB — Despite being cut by Chicago at the end of training camp, Bray was brought back and signed to the practice squad. This is year No. 3 with the Bears for Bray. He spent five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs before joining the Bears.
Cincinatti Bengals
Kahlil McKenzie, DL — McKenzie is currently on the Bengals’ practice squad after being cut by the Seahawks over the offseason. The Chiefs drafted him in the sixth round of the 2018 draft as an offensive lineman, but after a year in Kansas City, was cut by the organization. He had a brief stint in the XFL before he was signed then released by the Seahawks. The Bengals brought him in last month to play him on the defensive line, where he played at Tennessee, and he stuck in the organization after not making the 53-man roster.
Cleveland Browns
John Kelly, RB — Kelly is currently on the Browns’ practice roster after being cut by the Los Angeles Rams at the end of training camp. Kelly was drafted by the Rams in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. The former Vol running back has 30 career carries in the NFL for 83 yards. He’s made two catches.
Denver Broncos
Alexander Johnson, ILB — Johnson tied for the team-lead in tackles with eight in the Broncos’ 26-21 loss to the Steelers over the weekend. Six of his eight tackles were solo tackles and he had one quarterback hit on Ben Roethlisberger.
Ja’Wuan James, OL — James chose to opt out of the 2020 football season. The former Vol right tackle cited COVID-19 concerns following the birth of his son. After beginning his career with the Dolphins, James signed a four-year, $51 million deal with Denver. $32 million was guaranteed. He played in just three games during his first year in Denver due to a knee injury he suffered in the season opener.
Detroit Lions
Justin Coleman, DB — Coleman is currently on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury he suffered in the Lions’ Week 1 loss to the Bears. The earliest Coleman could return from injured reserve would be against the Jaguars in Week 6 because Detroit is off in Week 5.
Coleman had one pass defensed before leaving the Week 1 game. In 17 games with the Lions, he has made 54 tackles with one interception, 14 pass breakups and three forced fumbles.
Jalen Reeves-Maybin, LB — Though Coleman was not available, Reeves-Maybin played in Detroit’s Week 2 42-21 loss to the Packers. Reeves-Maybin did not record a tackle.
Houston Texas
Zach Fulton, OL — Fulton started at right guard for the Texans in Houston’s 33-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Texans only rushed for 51 yards on the afternoon. They averaged 3.0 yards per carry.
Las Vegas Raiders
Jason Witten, TE — In the Raiders’ 34-24 win over the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, Witten caught one pass for three yards. Witten is the backup tight end to Darren Waller, who exploded for 12 catches, 103 yards and a touchdown.
Kendal Vickers, DE — Vickers did not record any statistics in Las Vegas’ win over New Orleans, but he was active for the game and did see action.
Los Angeles Rams
Daniel Bituli, LB — Bituli is currently on the Rams’ practice squad.
Minnesota Vikings
Britton Colquitt, P — Colquitt punted the ball four times for an average of 42.0 yards per punt in the Vikings’ 28-11 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He did not down any punts inside of the 20-yard line and his longest punt on the day traveled 46-yards.
New England Patriots
Jakob Johnson, FB — Johnson recorded his first career NFL touchdown in the Patriots’ 35-30 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday Night Football. Johnson’s first career touchdown reception was from a yard out.
TOUCHDOWN, @JohnsonJakob!
cc: @patsdeutsch ??
?: @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/O6qkLCjckD
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 21, 2020
New Orleans Saints
Alvin Kamara, RB — Kamara rushed for two touchdowns and 79 yards on 13 carries in New Orleans’ loss to the Raiders on Monday night. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry and added a team-high nine receptions for 95 yards.
.@A_Kamara6 converts at the goal line for the #Saints TD!
?: #NOvsLV on ESPN
?: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/pkp7nq0Q8u pic.twitter.com/ASksPvFMox— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2020
AK makes it a one-score game ?
4 and a half to go! #NOvsLV
? ESPN // ? #Saints App pic.twitter.com/oZzAThxCxR— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 22, 2020
Marquez Callaway, WR — Callaway was active for Monday Night Football after not being active Week 1 for the Saints’ win over Tampa Bay. He did not catch a pass, nor did he receive a target, however.
Shy Tuttle, DT — Tuttle was not active for the Saints game against the Raiders.
New York Jets
Kyle Phillips, DE — In the Jets’ 31-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Phillips recorded three tackles and a quarterback hit.
Josh Malone, WR — Malone was activated off of the Jets practice squad late last week and he proceeded to catch four passes for 16 yards on six targets from Sam Darnold. He added a carry for 12-yards. Malone also served as New York’s kick returner. He returned two kicks for an average of 24.5 yards per return.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Josh Dobbs, QB — Dobbs was not active for Pittsburgh’s 26-20 win over Denver.
Dustin Colquitt, P — Colquitt punted the football five times on the afternoon for an average of 41.8 yards per punt. He down two punts inside of the 20-yard line and his longest on the day traveled 54-yards.
Cameron Sutton, DB — Sutton had an unfortunate blocking in the back call that negated a Steelers punt return for a touchdown. He added one tackle.
Daniel McCullers, DT — McCullers was active on Sunday, but did not record any stats.
Philadelphia Eagles
Derek Barnett, DL — Barnett was active for the Eagles’ 37-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday after dealing with an injury throughout training camp. Barnett had two tackles and a hit on the quarterback.
Malik Jackson, DL — Jackson, Barnett’s co-worker along the defensive line, recorded four tackles in the loss.
San Francisco 49ers
Emmanuel Moseley, DB — Moseley had two pass deflections and two tackles in San Francisco’s 31-13 win over the Jets. Moseley helped hold the Jets to just 173 passing yards on the afternoon.
Jauan Jennings, WR — Jennings is currently on the 49ers’ practice squad after he did not make the 53-man roster out of training camp.
Jalen Hurd, WR — Hurd tore his ACL during training camp and will not play in 2020.
Seattle Seahawks
Darrell Taylor, OLB/DE — Taylor is currently on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list as he’s still working back from a leg injury. The former Vol pass rusher played through a stress fracture in his shin during his senior season at Tennessee and underwent surgery on it in January. Taylor started training camp on the NFI list.
Seattle traded up in the draft to select Taylor 48th overall.
