Michigan Football: Several Notes On NFL Wolverines
It’s the offseason, but there’s been plenty going on involving former Wolverines now in the NFL. Here’s the latest …
Alan Branch, 32, is coming off of arguably his best season in 10 years as a pro and was one of the New England Patriots top 5 defenders in Super Bowl LI, according to Pro Football Focus. He's now a free agent, and the Patriots will likely try to re-sign him.
"[Head coach] Bill Belichick called Branch the team's most consistent interior defensive lineman, and late in the season the coach made it clear just how much value there is in having a player with Branch's stature (6-foot-6, 350 pounds) and athleticism up front," CSNNE.com reports.
"Alan has done a great job for us," Belichick said. "And along with his play, which is certainly significant, one of the things that’s really been impressive about him has been his play time. So in addition to his overall production he’s played a lot more than he has in quite a while in terms of number of plays.
"From a production standpoint he’s got, again, quite a few tackles, tackles for loss. It’s hard to measure the disruptive plays but he’s certainly got his share of those. He’s played very well for us in the running game. He’s given us a presence in the pass rush of a long, physical player in the middle. That’s all been really good, and he’s played more plays so all of that is good."
Branch recorded three tackles, a half sack, a fumble recovery and a quarterback hit in the Super Bowl.
• A nice story on former U-M defensive end Brennan Beyer, now with the Baltimore Ravens. He's back home helping a former coach mentor a girls' basketball team.
• Brandon Graham is embracing the challenge of fatherhood, CBS.com reports.
“You learn something new about her each and everyday, each and every second,” Graham said. “So, when I’m done with practice, I’m alwasy facetiming, trying to figure out what I’ve missed.”
“He’s very involved, even on his busy days,” said Graham’s wife Carlyne. “Even after the games, he makes sure he gives her her bath. They have their bath time.
ProFootballFocus' Sam Monson rates Graham one of the more underrated players in the league:
"Brandon Graham doesn’t get the recognition he deserves as one of the league’s most consistent and dominant pass-rushers because people get too caught up with measuring pass rush by sacks alone," Monson writes.
• In New York, the Jets seem to be contemplating cutting longtime linebacker standout David Harris, NJ.com reports. Harris has spent his entire 10-year career with the franchise, but the move would create $6.5 million of salary cap space.
• In Jacksonville, the Jaguars re-signed back-up quarterback Chad Henne. He’s quickly becoming the next Todd Collins, a former U-M quarterback who spent several years in the league, mostly as a No. 2 guy.
“With nine years of NFL experience, Chad has an abundance of knowledge in professional football,” Jaguars Head Coach Doug Marrone said in a statement. “Chad provides leadership to our offensive meeting room.”
• Running back Thomas Rawls put too much pressure on himself last year in Seattle, former RB coach Sherman Smith told USA Today.
“He wanted to make the perfect cut every time and when he didn’t he would get frustrated, instead of his rookie year he just went out and he just ran and he wasn’t worrying about being the guy,” Smith explained. “He was just out there running and having fun. I think if he gets back to that he’ll provide a great run game for the Seahawks.”
• The Detroit Lions are going with former Wolverine Jake Rudock as their backup quarterback. That word came from Orlovsky during an interview with Ross Tucker on Sirius XM NFL Radio.
“Lions let me know they’re going in a different direction with Jake Rudock as back-up to Matthew,” Orlovsky said.
• Pro Football Focus released the two second-year linebackers that improved the most and former Wolverine Jake Ryan made the cut. In 2015, Ryan recorded a PFF score of 42.5 ... he was up to 76.4 this year.
Ryan posted 82 tackles and three passes defended in 2016 at the inside linebacker position.
• In Pittsburgh, Fitz Toussaint was set to become an exclusive rights free agent, meaning he was virtually guaranteed to return, and he signed a one-year extension per ESPN.com. Exclusive rights players can’t be offered contracts by other teams. Their options, if tendered, are to sign with the team or sit out the season.
• Finally, Tom Brady has a fan in Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
"From a fan’s perspective, what a great game to watch and to see Tom in his greatness on display one more time,” Rodgers said. “I mean, he didn’t need to win that to prove that he’s the G.O.A.T., but just another part of his legacy there.”
Brady's stolen jersey is apparently worth half a million bucks.
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