Quarterbacks (1)
• Brady Quinn (Cleveland): 50.6 Completion Pct.; 518 yards for 2TD’s and 2 INT’s
Notes: Quinn finally got his chance at the starting job in Cleveland and started three games in a row before injuring his finger and being out for the remainder of the season. He has been named the starter heading into next season, though with Romeo Crennell being fired, that could be up in the air.
Tuck's play in 2008 earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl.
Running Backs (3)
• Ryan Grant (Green Bay): 312 carries for 1203 yards 4 TD’s; 18 rec. for 118 yards 1 TD
• Julius Jones (Seattle):158 carries for 698 yards 2 TD’s; 14 rec. for 66 yards
• Darius Walker (Houston): Never made the active roster in 2008
Notes: Ryan Grant missed out on a large bonus ($1.35 Million) when his 80-yard TD run was overruled in replay, and instead was a 21-yard run. He finished 47 yards short of the 1,250 yards needed to get the bonus.
Receivers (2)
• Arnaz Battle (San Francisco): 24 rec. for 318 yards; 1 carry for 18 yards
• Maurice Stovall (Tampa Bay): 3 rec. for 25 yards
Tight Ends (3)
• Anthony Fasano (Miami): 34 rec. for 454 yards and 7 TD’s
• John Owens (Detroit): 8 rec. for 56 yards and 1 TD
• John Carlson (Seattle): 55 rec. for 627 yards and 5 TD’s
Note: Anthony Fasano enjoyed a breakout season in his third year in the NFL but first for the Dolphins out of Jason Whitten’s shadow…John Carlson had a tremendous rookie season and has earned high praise from Head Coach Mike Holmgren.
Offensive Linemen (8)
• Jordan Black (Jacksonville): Did not see any time in 2008
• Jeff Faine (Tampa Bay): Started all 16 games
• Mike Gandy (Arizona): Started all 16 for Arizona
• Ryan Harris (Denver): Emerged as a solid starter for 16 games
• Mark LeVoir (New England) Started 2 games; played in 16
• Sean Mahan (Tampa Bay): Played in 15 games as a reserve
• Dan Santucci (Cincinnati): IR for 2008
• John Sullivan (Minnesota): Rookie center played in all 16 games as a reserve
Note: Ryan Harris is finally playing with close to a clean bill of health and is a rising star on the Denver offensive line…Mark LeVoir spent a few seasons on various practice squads before emerging as a legitimate front-line player in 2008 and is now a part of the Patriots plans in 2009.
Defensive Linemen (6)
• Victor Abiamiri (Philadelphia): 11 tackles, 2 sacks and 3 passes deflected
• Bertrand Berry (Arizona): 22 tackles, 5 sacks and 3 passes defended
• Derek Landri (Jacksonville): 15 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 pass defended
• Trevor Laws (Philadelphia): 12 tackles, 1 sack
• Justin Tuck (N.Y. Giants): 67 tackles, 12 sacks, 1 pass defended, 1 INT for TD
• Anthony Weaver (Houston): 45 tackles, 1 INT
Note: Justin Tuck followed up on his near-MVP performance in the Super Bowl with a terrific 2008 regular season. He is a budding superstar in pro football.
Linebackers (2)
• Rocky Boiman (Kansas City) 73 tackles; 3 passes defended
• Corey Mays (Cincinnati): 11 tackles
Note: Boiman was injured at times, but he was productive in his 11 games.
Defensive Backs (4)
• Chinedum Ndukwe (Cincinnati): 64 tackles, 3 sacks and 1 INT
• Mike Richardson (New England): 17 tackles
• Allen Rossum (San Francisco): Played in 13 games and recorded 1,259 kick return yards, including a 104-yard touchdown, to go with 223 punt return yards.
• Tom Zbikowski (Baltimore): 19 tackles; played as a reserve in all 16 games.
Kickers/Punters (3)
• John Carney (NY Giants) 35-38 FG’s; 38-38 PAT’s
• Craig Hentrich (Tennessee): 87 Punts, 42.8 AVG.; 27 inside the 20
• Hunter Smith (Indianapolis): 53 punts, 44.2 avg,; 23 inside the 20
Note: John Carney was unsigned days before the NFL opening weekend. The Giants then signed him and watched as he had one of his best seasons ever. He is an All-Pro and handled the majority of the Giants’ kickoffs, which speaks to his leg strength at a relatively advanced age.
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