Recapping and Ranking the NFL ProCanes’ 2020 Season

As draft eligible Canes’ players make the determination whether to declare for the NFL Draft or stay for an additional year of college, and the NFL regular season comes to an end, it seems like a good time to analyze how ProCanes on active NFL rosters (and current ProCanes’ NFL free agents) fared during the 2020 season.

Obviously this was an unorthodox year but a number of ProCanes kept us entertained throughout the season on Sundays. Another select few will continue their quest toward a Super Bowl as their team competes in the playoffs. I’ve classified players below based on their performances this past season and potential expectations moving forward, which includes stats and Pro Football Focus Grades.

Tier 1: MVP

Position | Name | Team | (Draft Year/Selection) | (2020 PFF Grade - 2020 GP/GS)

1. RB | Frank Gore | New York Jets | (2005, 3rd round, 65th overall) | (60.7 - 15/14) 187 rushes for 653 yards and 2 TDs; 16 receptions for 89 yards: The legend of Frank Gore just keeps going and going as he continues his voyage at the NFL level as he has not officially shut the door on returning for another year. If it is a career, Gore finished with 16,000 rushing yards during his 17-year tenure. He has also scored a TD in three different decades and his son, Frank Gore Jr., is a rising sophomore at Southern Mississippi.

Tier 2: Stars

Position | Name | Team | (Draft Year/Selection) | (2020 PFF Grade - 2020 GP/GS)

2. DE | Olivier Vernon | Cleveland Browns | (2012, 3rd round, 72nd overall) | (74.2 - 14/13): 36 tackles, 9.0 sacks, 3 PD, 1 FF, 16 QBHits: Vernon picked up the slack when Myles Garrett was out of action at the opposite Defensive End position. However, Vernon suffered a ruptured achilles in the final game of the season. It will be interesting to see how the pending free agent will treat this offseason. After restructuring his contract last offseason, the 30-year old has options. Similar to Calais Campbell, he has not played on great teams, so may be interested in joining a serious contender if he does not feel the Browns have enough.

3. TE | Jimmy Graham | Chicago Bears | (2010, 3rd round, 95th overall) | (62.7 - 16/15) 50 receptions for 456 yards and 8 TDs: Graham impressed on and off the field all season as he was the lone ProCane selected as a Walter Payton Man of the Year team representative (an award that Calais Campbell won for the NFL last year). In his first year with the Bears, Graham procured 8 TDs on the field in leading the Bears to a Playoff Berth as a main redzone target for Mitch Trubisky. He also acted as a mentor for promising rookie TE, Cole Kmet.

4. DE | Calais Campbell | Baltimore Ravens | (2008, 2nd round, 50th overall) | (72.4 - 12/12) 28 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 6 PDs, 10 QBHits: Campbell’s season was disrupted by some injuries, which likely precluded the opportunity to break some of his career highs in his 13th seasons. Despite playing for perennial cellar dwellers Arizona and Jacksonville during most of his career, he was very productive this year anchoring a stout Baltimore defense. Campbell will be participating in his first playoff game since 2017.

5. P | Pat O’Donnell | Chicago Bears | (2014, 6th round, 191st overall) | (56.0 - 16/16) 64 punts, 64-yard long, 45.7 Y/P: As is evident with Lou Hedley for the Canes, Miami has a deep lineage to be PunterU. O’Donnell assisted with field position throughout the season for the playoff-bound Bears.

6. FS | Rayshawn Jenkins | Los Angeles Chargers | (2017, 4th round, 113th overall) | (68.0 - 15/15) 84 tackles (career high), 2 INT, 4 TFL, 1 sack: Jenkins took over the starting role last year, which heightened in importance as the Chargers star safety, Derwin James, missed the season. Jenkins impressed with a career high 84 tackles.

Tier 3: Standouts

Position | Name | Team | (Draft Year/Selection) | (2020 PFF Grade - 2020 GP/GS)

7. C | Brandon Linder | Jacksonville Jaguars | (2014, 3rd round, 93rd overall) | (80.0 - 9/9) 530 Offensive Snaps, 1 Sack Allowed: The Jaguars Captain and Center was plagued by injuries this season but ended up being a strong point on an otherwise disappointing team. Linder can anticipate being a stable stalwart as he serves as (likely) Trevor Lawrence’s guide, and whoever the Jags bring in as new Coach and GM.

8. OG | Jon Feliciano | Buffalo Bills | (2015, 4th round, 128th overall) | (64.6 - 9/9) 571 Offensive Snaps, 0 Sacks Allowed: Feliciano was expected to miss the season due to a torn pectoral muscle but ended up having a successful season playing 571 offensive snaps in 9 games. A fan favorite for Bills Mafia will be relied upon for Buffalo’s playoff push.

9. WR | Braxton Berrios | New York Jets | (2018, 6th round, 210th overall) (72.4- 16/2) 37 receptions for 394 yards and 3 TDs (Career Highs): Berrios is doing what few Canes fans’ should be surprised by - using his hard work to impress at the NFL level. The fan favorite stepped in when the Jets’ WR corps was decimated by injuries and proved to be Sam Darnold’s favorite target. Berrios even started to be used in sweeps in the season finale, proving that he can carve out far more than just a punt return role at the highest level.

10. TE | Greg Olsen | Seattle Seahawks | (2007, 1st round, 31st overall) | (62.0 - 11/8) 24 receptions for 239 yards and 1 TD: Olsen’s season was unfortunately shortened by a ruptured achilles. And while Olsen has a broadcasting contract waiting for him after football, he is hopeful to play another season.

11. CB | Corn Elder | Carolina Panthers | (2017, 5th round, 152nd overall) | (68.5 - 16/1) 40 tackles, 3 PD, 1 FF, 1 TFL (Career Highs): The best name in the NFL missed his rookie season due to a knee injury. And then last year, Corn did not make the cut, despite a somewhat decent season in 2018 working out of the slot for the Panthers. Elder impressed as a situational CB for the Panthers, as he had the 26th best PFF grade for those who played more than 400 snaps.

12. OL | Ereck Flowers | Miami Dolphins | (2015, 1st round, 9th overall) | (65.9 - 14/14) 857 Offensive Snaps, 5 Sacks Allowed: In his first few seasons in the NFL, it appeared that the former top ten overall pick would be an all-time bust. However, Flowers blossomed last season with the Washington Football Team and turned in a 3-year, $30million deal with the Dolphins. This year, Flowers played a big role on a young Fins’ OL. The switched to guard has paid huge dividends, literally, for Flowers.

13. LB | Denzel Perryman | Los Angeles Chargers | (2015, 2nd round, 48th overall) | (83.3 - 13/6) 48 tackles, 1 sack, 1 PD, 1 FF, 3 TFL, 2 QBHits: In a contract year, Perryman played well enough to garner a decent contract in what should be a relatively weak LB class. His production does not jump off the charts, but the 83.3 PFF Grade is impressive and he definitely had his moments, which included upending a 364-pound OL, Mekhi Becton (Perryman is listed at 243).

14. RB | DeeJay Dallas | Seattle Seahawks | (2020, 4th round, 144th overall) | (72.1 - 12/2) 34 rushes for 108 yards and 2 TDs; 17 receptions for 111 yards, 1 TD: Dallas ended up being RB1 for a couple weeks during a span when the Seahawks’ feature backs were out due to injury. Dallas was very effective in the redzone as he scored 3 TDs in a decent rookie campaign.

15. TE | David Njoku | Cleveland Browns | (2017, 1st round, 29th overall) | (66.9 - 13/5) 19 receptions for 213 yards and 2 TDs: Despite a turbulent offseason and season where trade rumors were rampant, Njoku filled in well as the third TE on the depth chart behind free agent signee, Austin Hooper, and rookie, Harrison Bryant. The freak athlete, Njoku, could still be on the move after this season.

Tier 4: Role Players

Position | Name | Team | (Draft Year/Selection) | (2020 PFF Grade - 2020 GP/GS)

16. RB | Duke Johnson | Houston Texans | (2015, 3rd round, 77th overall) (62.6 - 11/5) 77 rushes for 235 yards and 1 TD; 28 receptions for 249 yards and 1 TD: The pass catching back had flashes of solid play but not enough over the course of the season. Derailed by an injury in week one, Johnson split the backfield with another Johnson, David, for most of the season when he was active.

17. DE | Al-Quadin Muhammad | Indianapolis Colts | (2017, 6th round, 196th overall) | (61.0 - 16/0) 23 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 6 QBHits: Colts proved to be one of the most impressive defenses at all segments. Muhammad was more of a role player but complemented one of the best DT’s in the league, Deforest Buckner.

18. CB | Deon Bush | Chicago Bears | (2016, 4th round, 124th overall) | (69.4 - 11/0) 1 INT, 5 tackles: Bush had a nice season with a 69.4 PFF Grade. However, he had a decrease in defensive snaps as the season progressed and only played 65 of them on the season. This is trending in the wrong direction as he played 333 defensive snaps his rookie year in 2016.

19. SS | Jaquan Johnson | Buffalo Bills | (2019, 6th round, 181st overall) | (53.9 - 14/0) 4 tackles, 248 ST snaps (Career High): Johnson has mostly been a special teams staple, but did throw a 13-yard pass on a trick play in week 16. The U has Jaquan’s younger brother and three-star DE Tyler Johnson as a signee for 2021.

20. RB | Travis Homer | Seattle Seahawks | (2019, 6th round, 204th overall) | (58.0 - 9/0) 25 rushes for 88 yards; 9 receptions for 90 yards, 1 TD: As the Seahawks suffered injuries, Homer ended up scoring his first career TD this season, but was mostly featured on special teams duty.

21. DE | Allen Bailey | Atlanta Falcons | (2011, 3rd round, 86th overall) | (51.0 - 16/4) 15 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 5 QBHits: Bailey was called on as a role player and performed well in his tenth season.

22. LB | Anthony Chickillo | New Orleans Saints/Denver Broncos | (2015, 6th round, 212th overall) | (56.7 - 11/0) 11 tackles, 1 sack, 1 PD: Chickillo ended up being picked up off of the Saints practice squad and fit in nicely as a backup LB for the Broncos.

Tier 5: Room for Improvement

Position | Name | Team | (Draft Year/Selection) | (2020 PFF Grade - 2020 GP/GS)

23. TE | Christopher Herndon IV | New York Jets | (2018, 4th round, 107th overall) | (57.9 - 16/13) 31 receptions for 287 yards, 3 TD: Even though Herndon appeared primed for a big season, he was disappointing, similar to the Jets season.

24. FS | Sheldrick Redwine | Cleveland Browns | (2019, 4th round, 119th overall) | (45.3 - 15/3) 1 INT, 27 tackles: Redwine made an impressive pick on his first play of the season, which was the first of his career. However, based on his PFF grade, it does not appear Redwine answered the call thereafter as a role safety.

25. K | Michael Badgley | Los Angeles Chargers | (2018, UDFA) | (41.3 - 16/16) 24/33 FGs (72.7%) (53-yard long), 36/39 XPs (92.3%): After a groin injury last year, Badgley strung together a solid full season, which was unfortunately plagued by clutch misses against the Saints and Raiders.

26. SS | Adrian Colbert | New York Giants | (2017, 7th round 229th overall) | (56.3 - 6/2) 13 tackles, 104 Defensive Snaps: Colbert was cut by the Chiefs at the beginning of the season but ended up carving out a role for the Giants, which should keep him on track at the NFL level in future years.

27. DE | Joe Jackson | Cleveland Browns | (2019, 5th round, 165th overall) | (60.8 - 3/0) 5 tackles, 71 Defensive Snaps: Jackson was cut by the Cowboys at the beginning of the season but ended up getting situational reps on defense for the Browns. With Vernon out this Sunday, Jackson may see some action in his playoff debut.

On the Rise

DE | Jonathan Garvin | Green Bay Packers | (2020, 7th round, 242nd overall) | (53.5 - 8/0) 5 tackles, 85 Defensive Snaps, 22 ST Snaps: Garvin ended up having an injury-plagued rookie season but did get some action on defense as he appears to be transitioning to LB at the NFL level.

WR | K.J. Osborn | Minnesota Vikings | (2020, 6th round, 212th overall) | (9/0) 7 Punt Returns, 3.9 Y/R; 14 Kick Returns, 21.6 Y/R: The kid with the work hard and make-it attitude has made it through his first season. Osborn earned the starting KR/PR in his first season, a good sign of things to come.

LB | Shaquille Quarterman | Jacksonville Jaguars | (2020, 4th round, 140th overall) | (N/A - 12/0) 6 tackles, 203 ST Snaps: Quarterman predominantly played special teams for the Jags during his rookie season but can anticipate more exposure on defense next year on the young team.

OL | Danny Isidora | Kansas City Chiefs | (2017, 5th round, 180th overall) | (60.0 - 1/0) 2 Offensive Snaps

CB | Michael Jackson Sr. | New England Patriots | (2019, 5th round, 158th overall) | (65.5 - 1/0) 1 tackle, 4 Defensive Snaps: With some potential movement in the Patriots secondary this upcoming offseason, Jackson has already been signed to futures contract for next season’s practice squad.

LB | Michael Pinckney | New England Patriots | (2020 UDFA): Pinckney spent the season on the Patriots’ practice squad after going undrafted following hip surgery. Pinckney was suspended for six games this season for reportedly taking a banned substance. However, he has apparently garnered the respect of the Patriots’ organization as he has been signed to a futures contract for next year’s practice squad. Hecould be a useful cog next year as the Patriots need run stuffing support.

LB | Trent Harris | New York Giants | (2018 UDFA) | (49.2 - 4/2) 5 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 70 Defensive Snaps: Harris has been an early career journey man as he has spent time on the Patriots, Dolphins, and Giants during his short career. Harris joined the Giants midway through the season and contributed to the defense.

OL | KC McDermott | Jacksonville Jaguars | (2018 UDFA) | (7/0) 22 ST Snaps

OT | Tyree St. Louis | Los Angeles Chargers | (2019 UDFA) | (37.7 - 5/2) 80 Offensive Snaps: St. Louis made his debut this season and started two games due to an injury-prone Chargers OL.

DT | RJ McIntosh | New York Giants | (2018, 5th round, 139th overall) | (N/A).

Looking for Work

RB | Lamar Miller | New England Patriots/Chicago Bears/Washington Football Team | (2012, 4th round, 97th overall) | (65.1 - 1/0) 2 receptions for 6 yards: Miller was signed by the Patriots this past offseason as he tried to recover from a torn ACL in 2019. Miller was waived during final cuts. Ultimately, he was signed by the Bears where he saw game action in week 10 and recorded one catch. He was signed by Washington at the end of December, where he’ll try to carve out a role for the playoffs.

CB | Trajan Bandy | Cincinnati Bengals | Practice Squad

OL | Tyler Gauthier | Miami Dolphins | Practice Squad

LB | Ray Ray Armstrong | Seattle Seahawks | Practice Squad

LB | Romeo Finley | Free Agent

WR | Jeff Thomas | Free Agent

LB | Chad Thomas | (2018, 3rd round, 67th overall) | Free Agent/Music Producer

DE | Gerald Willis | Free Agent

DE | Trevon Hill | Free Agent

S | Jamal Carter | Atlanta Falcons | (2017 UDFA) | (25.6 - 1/0) 5 tackles, 31 Defensive Snaps: After a disappointing performance in week 4, Carter was released by the Falcons.

2020 Opt Outs/Injuries

WR | Allen Hurns | Miami Dolphins | Opt Out

WR | Travis Benjamin | San Francisco 49ers | Opt Out

WR | Phillip Dorsett | Seattle Seahawks | (2015, 1st round, 29th overall) | (N/A - 0/0) Injured Reserve: The speedy former first rounder missed the entire season due to a foot injury and surgery to clean out bone spurs. Hopefully, he can come back and be productive.

CB | Artie Burns | Chicago Bears | (2016, 1st round, 25th overall) (N/A) Injured Reserve: Burns tore his ACL and missed the season.

Former Miami Transfers

Position | Name | Team | (Draft Year/Selection) | (2020 PFF Grade - 2020 GP/GS)

WR | Lawrence Cager | New York Jets | (2020 UDFA, Transferred to Georgia) | (62.5 - 2/1) 2 receptions for 35 yards: Cager earned playing time in a couple games when the Jets were decimated by injuries.

RB | Gus Edwards | Baltimore Ravens | (2018 UDFA, Transferred to Rutgers) | (85.7 - 16/6) 144 rushes for 723 yards and 6 TDs; 9 receptions for 129 yards (All Career Highs): Edwards was a sparkplug for the Baltimore backfield as he averaged over 5 yards a carry.