By: Barry Barnes, Founder
In 2014, fifteen NFL Regional Combine players started the season, followed by a whopping fifty-nine in 2015 and sixty-two last season.
The NFL Regional Combine continues to bear fruit. The 2017 NFL season is a testimony to its importance or countless talented players might have been overlooked.
Seven hundred and eighty NFL hopefuls graced several NFL facilities during the annual discovery platform of the RC last winter and fifteen standouts from that grouping are no longer dreaming.
Seventy-one players from the platform made it onto team rosters, the most ever to begin a campaign. And now, they are ready to make their mark.
Feb. 11, 2017 -Seattle, WASH. – NFL hopeful participating in the Seattle-held 2017 NFL Regional Combine. (Photo by: Locker-Report.com)
Among the seventy-one players, forty-one were active for Week One, including four rookies in Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Nigel Harris, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Keelan Cole, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Reggie Davis and Indianapolis Colts safety Kenny Moore.
Despite being released, both Davis and Moore excelled in different camps during the preseason. Davis was with the Atlanta Falcons, while Moore was in New England as a Patriot. Davis and Moore were impressive enough to garner attention to play on Sunday afternoons this season for their current squads.
There are twenty RC talents on the practice squad, with ten on injury reserve. Two out of the twenty practice squad players are from the UK, defensive ends Efe Obada and rookie Alex Jenkins.
Midway through the 2016 season, seventy-one players were in clubs.
While the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks do not have a representative from the NFL Regional Combine, twenty-one NFL teams have at least one player from the RC on their active roster.
As the 2017 campaign progresses, more players will eventually sign with clubs, and several will be promoted to the active roster.
This season will be no different as some will immediately make their presence known – displaying what the league would have missed out on if it were not for the NFL Regional Combine.
THE 2017 NFL REGIONAL COMBINE PIONEERS
ARIZONA CARDINALS
Elijhaa Penny/Google Images
OT Ulrick John (Active)
TE Ifeanyi Momah (Active)
RB Penny Elijhaa (Active)
ATLANTA FALCONS
CB C.J. Goodwin (Active)
S Kemal Ishmael (Active)
WR Marvin Hall (PS)
BUFFALO BILLS
S Brenaska Sanders (PS)
CB Marcus Sayles (PS)
CAROLINA PANTHERS
OT Greg Van Roten (Active)
DE Efe Obada (PS, International)
TE Scott Simonson (IR)
CHICAGO BEARS
DE Roy Robertson (Active)
CLEVELAND BROWNS
MIAMI GARDENS, FL – AUGUST 10: Reggie Davis #1 of the Atlanta Falcons goes the turf after being hit by Xavien Howard #25 of the Miami Dolphins during their preseason game at Hard Rock Stadium on August 10, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
(Photo by Joe Skipper/Getty Images)
WR Reggie Davis (Active)
C Austin Reiter (Active)
B.J. Bello (PS)
DETROIT LIONS
P Kasey Redfern (Active)
LB Brandon Copeland (IR)
DENVER BRONCOS
K Brandon McManus (Active)
OT Elijah Wilkenson (PS)
DALLAS COWBOYS
DE Benson Mayowa (Active)
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Trevor Davis/Packers.com
P Jacob Schum (Active)
WR Trevor Davis (Active)
DB Donatello Brown (PS)
QB Joe Callahan (PS)
HOUSTON TEXANS
DB Denzel Rice (IR)
WR Wendall Williams (IR)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
OG Denzelle Good (Active)
CB Chris Milton (Active)
S Kenny Moore (Active)
TE Brandon Williams (Active)
LB Darnell Sankey (PS)
CB Darryl Morris Jr. (IR)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Jacksonville Jaguars’ Keelan Cole (84) gets past Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Alan Cross (45) and Justin Evans (21) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
FB Tommy Bohanon (Active)
WR Keelan Cole (Active)
OG William Poehls (Active)
RB/CB Raysean Pringle (PS)
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
CB Keith Baxter (IR)
LOS ANGELES RAMS
DB Cody Davis (Active)
K Greg Zuerlein (Active)
P John Hekker (Active)
LB Carlos Thompson (PS)
WR Mike Thomas (4-game suspension)
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Nigel Harris (right)/Google Images
LB Jatavis Brown (Active)
LB Nigel Harris (Active)
TE Sean McGrath (Active)
CB Jeff Richards (Active)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
WR Adam Thielen (Active)
RB Bronson Hill (PS)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
DB Chris Banjo (Active)
DE Alex Jenkins (PS, International)
NEW YORK JETS
Julian Stanford/Google Images
LB Julian Stanford (Active)
DE Frank Beltre (PS)
CB Xavier Coleman (PS)
CB Terrell Sinkfield (PS)
LB Julian Howsare (IR)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
TE Matt Lengel (IR)
OAKLAND RAIDERS
WR Seth Roberts (Active)
LB Tyrell Adams (Active)
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
LB Kamu Grugier-Hill (Active)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Jordan Berry/Steelers.com
CB Robert Golden (Active)
T Alejandro Villaneuva (Active)
P Jordan Berry (Active)
CB Dashaun Phillips (PS)
WR Marcus Tucker (PS)
CB Jordan Dangerfield (IR)
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
QB Nick Mullens (PS)
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
FB Alan Cross (Active)
OT Leonard Wester (Active)
TENNESSEE TITANS
TE Jerome Cunningham (PS)
CB Jeremy Boykins (IR)
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
DB Quinton Dunbar (Active)
“Like” us on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter and Instagram now
Leave a Reply