Practice Squad

Freddie Brown, Brett Ratliff and R.J. Stanford were relegated to the practice squad as NFL teams cut down to their final 53 man rosters this weekend. Brown was waived by the Bengals during the summer, then brought into the Vikings' camp to fill in for injured players. Ratliff was waived by the Browns later than expected, then signed by the Jaguars. Stanford showed some promising plays for the Panthers, but was the odd man out of the crowd. Kelly Talavou (Ravens) joined Martail Burnett (49ers) on IR and is done for the season.

David Reed secured a spot on the Ravens' roster with his sure hands and kick returning ability. Baltimore waived Demetrius Williams prior to the deadline, then traded Mark Clayton to St. Louis when they signed free agent T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Reed is now listed as a third-string receiver behind Derrick Mason and Donte Stallworth, as well as the second-string kick returner (Stallworth is out with an injury, but Houshmandzadeh has yet to be added to the depth chart).

Quinton Ganther's DUI stop did not stop him from making the Seahawks as a first-string fullback and fourth-string running back. Robert Johnson made Tennessee's team, beating out fellow rookie (and Rhodes scholar) Myron Rolle, and Stevenson Sylvester earned one of many linebacker spots with Pittsburgh.

Off Season

It's been a disappointing off-season for three ProUtes: Freddie Brown, Martail Burnett, and Quinton Ganther. Brown was waived by the Bengals at the end of July, then signed by the Vikings to take some reps while other receivers recover. Burnett injured his left knee and was waived by the 49ers. The team placed him on injured reserve once he cleared waivers. Ganther, pictured here being tackled by a former Tennessee teammate in a recent preseason game, followed his running backs coach from Washington to Seattle. The running back position is still unsettled in Seattle, with LenDale White (another of Ganther's former Tennessee teammates) getting released by his old college coach, Pete Carroll. Ganther was arrested for DUI in Sacramento this summer. He had a hearing on Wednesday, which did not prevent him from playing this weekend. He may yet make the team, pending any legal or league-imposed discipline.

Ganther Back In, Gross Out

Quinton Ganther is healthy and playing in the NFL again, now as a member of the Washington Redskins. With Clinton Portis injured Ganther saw a few plays in relief of Ladell Betts, carrying three times for four yards and catching one pass for 18 yards. Those stats weren't enough to warrant a nomination for ProUte of the Week 10, but still worth mentioning! Ganther had a better week than Jordan Gross, who suffered a broken ankle when another player fell on his leg. Gross joined fellow ProUte Panther lineman Ma'ake Kemoeatu on the injured list. I regret predicting an outcome like this in a preseason post on Aug. 12th. Gross has been a stalwart tackle for the Panthers and a generous donor to the University of Utah; it's a shame to see his season end this way.

In addition to Ganther two other ProUtes have resurfaced in the league: Freddie Brown with the Bengals and Martail Burnett with the 49ers. They are members of the practice squads of those respective teams.

Final Cuts

Running back Quinton Ganther posted 10 rushes for 18 yards and 3 receptions for 49 yards during the preseason before he injured his right calf in the final preseason game. Tough luck, poor timing, and a crowded backfield resulted in his being waived-injured by the Tennessee Titans. Also casualties of the final 53-man roster cut were wide receiver Freddie Brown (Bengals) and defensive end Martail Burnett (Vikings).

2009 NFL Draft Results

Four Utes from the 13-0 Sugar Bowl Champions were drafted by NFL teams in April:

#57, Baltimore Ravens, Paul Kruger, de
#61, Miami Dolphins, Sean Smith, db
#188, Houston Texans, Brice McCain, db
#252, Cincinnati Bengals, Freddie Brown, wr

More Utes were drafted in 2005, following the team's first BCS busting season, including the number 1 overall pick:

#1, San Francisco 49ers, Alex Smith, qb
#88, New York Jets, Sione Pouha, dt
#204, Pittsburgh Steelers, Chris Kemoeatu, og
#225, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Paris Warren, wr
#233, Cincinnati Bengals, Jonathan Fanene, de

With the exception of Warren (now with the New Orleans Saints), all of those players are still with the teams that drafted them four years ago. Smith has had a rocky start to his career with the Niners, but the team has re-signed him to a restructured contract, demonstrating a continuing commitment to the former top pick. Kemoeatu was a starter for the Steelers this year, demonstrating that Utes can win bowl games at every level!