CHEYENNE, Wyo.– The Wyoming Pro Sports Report is a weekly feature from Cap City News recapping everything that current Wyoming-connected pro athletes have accomplished this week on fields, courts and fields.
Below is a rundown of everyone who represented the Cowboy State at the highest levels of their respective sports last week.
NOTE: The following players went to the University of Wyoming at some point in their college career, played high school sports in the state, or both. For the NFL, only players currently on or recently off active rosters are listed.
Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills (UW)
Unsurprisingly, the superstar signalman didn’t play in Buffalo’s preseason finale, a 21-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers. As one of the biggest (and therefore most protected) stars in the league, Bills coach Sean McDermott wasn’t going to put Allen – probably the biggest chunk of one of the best offenses of the NFL – on the field in an inconsequential game and putting it in danger. for an injury.
Veteran quarterback Case Keenum is officially listed on Buffalo’s depth chart as Allen’s backup, but third stringer Matt Barkley looked solid during his stint against the Panthers, going 9 for 13 for 100 yards. Still, no player is likely to see much of the field in the regular season unless Allen is ruled out with an injury or the Bills are big in a blowout and want to rest the starters.
Buffalo will take part in Game 1 of the 2022 NFL regular season against the defending Super Bowl champions, the Los Angeles Rams, at 6:20 p.m. on September 8 on NBC.
Logan Wilson, LB, Cincinnati Bengals (UW/Natrona County High School)
The Casper native rested in Cincinnati’s 16-7 preseason final loss to the Rams in a Super Bowl rematch to ensure he’s back to full health this regular season after off-season shoulder surgery.
Set to be a key part of a strong Bengals defense after a solid 100 tackles and four interceptions season a year ago, despite playing just 13 games, Wilson has serious potential to be the first Wyoming-born Pro Bowler since the Casper. Zane Beadles did it for the Denver Broncos in 2012.
The Bengals open their regular-season schedule against rival AFC North at the Pittsburgh Steelers at 11 a.m. on September 11.
Chad Muma, LB, Jacksonville Jaguars (UW)
Muma did not play in Jacksonville’s preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons and easily made the Jaguars’ 53-man roster after the team’s latest cuts were announced on Tuesday afternoon. .
Twice selected to the All-Mountain West first team and Associated Press All-American third team his senior year, Muma, who was selected by Jacksonville in the third round of this year’s NFL Draft, will look to follow the Wilson’s footsteps. as a pair of former UW linebackers making waves on NFL defenses.
The Jaguars open their season against the Washington Commanders at 11 a.m. on September 11.
Marcus Epps, S, Philadelphia Eagles (UW)
Epps didn’t see the field in the Eagles’ preseason finale – a 48-10 blowout at the hands of the Miami Dolphins – but the former Cowboy won the top spot in the depth chart with a high safety with impressive performance. and the rave reviews it garnered throughout training camp and preseason.
Part of a talented secondary that includes former Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay, Epps could be set for a big year in an improved role after a career-high 62 total tackles a season ago.
Philly opens its 2022 season with a game against the Detroit Lions at 11 a.m. on September 11.
Chase Roullier, C, Washington Commanders (UW)
Set to be Washington’s starting center on an offensive line tasked with protecting new quarterback Carson Wentz, Roullier, who will return for his first regular season games following a fibula fracture he suffered all season last, will look for a rebound campaign on a team that tries to compete in the NFC East.
The Commanders kick off their season against the Jaguars — whose Rouiller will meet former UW teammates Andrew Wingard and Chad Muma — at 11 a.m. on Sept. 11.
Tashaun Gipson, S, San Francisco 49ers (UW)
Gipson’s tenure with the 49ers didn’t last long. About a week after signing a one-year contract with San Francisco while the status of free safety Jimmie Ward was pending, the 49ers released the 32-year-old former Poke when the team made the final cuts in the roster on Tuesday.
The Texan will now seek another opportunity on what could be his sixth different NFL team in a productive career that includes 27 career interceptions and a 2014 Pro Bowl appearance with the Cleveland Browns.
Andrew Wingard, S, Jacksonville Jaguars (UW)
Wingard made Jacksonville’s final cut on his 53-player roster and is currently listed as the second strong safety on the team’s depth chart behind Rayshawn Jenkins. The Coloradoan didn’t see the field in the Jaguars’ preseason final loss to the Falcons.
The Jaguars open their season against the Washington Commanders at 11 a.m. on September 11.
Carl Granderson, DT, New Orleans Saints (UW)
Granderson, who signed a two-year contract extension with the Saints in March, was on the 53-man preseason roster and did not play in the Nova Scotia preseason final. -Orléans, a 27-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Saints begin their 2022 regular season against rival NFC South Atlanta at 11 a.m. on September 11.
Taven Bryan, DT, Cleveland Browns (Natrona County High School)
A former Jacksonville first-round draft pick who became a free agent this offseason after the team turned down fifth-year option Bryan — who played college football in Florida as one of the hottest rookies talent in recent high school football history in Wyoming – has seemed to excel so far in Cleveland.
Not only has the former Mustang made the Browns’ 53-man roster, but the team’s current depth chart lists Bryan as a starter on a loaded Cleveland defensive line with a pair of former All-Pros in Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. Bryan recorded three total tackles in Cleveland’s preseason finale, a 21-20 loss to the Chicago Bears.
The Browns open their season against the Panthers at 11 a.m. on September 11.
Rico Gafford, BC/KR, Green Bay Packers (UW)
Gafford didn’t make the Packers’ final 53-man roster but was able to earn time on the team’s practice squad for his versatility, Sports Illustrated reports.
A former wide receiver at the professional level who switched back to his college position as a cornerback, Gafford has returned kicks often for Green Bay this preseason and could be useful to the team as they try to fake shots. opposing players in training throughout the regular season.
Mike Purcell, TD, Denver Broncos (UW)
Purcell was released on Tuesday after he failed to make the final cuts from Denver’s roster. The 31-year-old nose tackle had a four-year tenure with the Broncos, enjoying a late resurgence in his career after numerous stints on practice squads and even a brief time with the defunct Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football.
He did not appear on the court in what became his last game in Denver with the team’s preseason finale, a 23-13 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
Jacob Hollister, TE, Las Vegas Raiders (UW)
Hollister was on the 53-man bubble ahead of Tuesday’s cuts but narrowly made the squad and was immediately placed on the reserve/injured list after a string of missed practices, The Athletic reported. He did not play in the Raiders’ preseason finale, a 23-6 win over the New England Patriots.
Vegas begins its season with a game against division rival the Chargers at 2:25 p.m. on Sept. 11.
Tyler Hall, BC, Los Angeles Rams (UW)
Hall was removed from the Rams’ 53-man roster on Tuesday. The 23-year-old had been on the Rams’ practice squad throughout last season, earning a Super Bowl ring because of it.
Hall will seek his third NFL team after being signed as an undrafted free agent by the Falcons in 2020.
Tanner Gentry, WR, Buffalo Bills (UW)
It’s been a tough week for one of Josh Allen’s favorite collegiate targets. Gentry caught a five-yard ball in the Bills’ preseason finale against the Panthers before suffering a leg injury in the second quarter, ruling him out for the rest of the game.
To add to the misery, Gentry fell victim to Buffalo’s final cuts on Tuesday, and while it’s possible he could see a spot on the Bills’ practice squad as he has in the past two recent seasons, the severity of his injury could limit his time on the pitch. in the foreseeable future.
Jacob Bobenmoyer, LS, Denver Broncos (Cheyenne East High School)
The former Thunderbird was officially named the Broncos’ long snapper for 2022 after making the 53-man roster cut and was listed as Denver’s starter in the position for the third consecutive season.
Bobenmoyer will face a slight adjustment this time around, however. Belgian-born punter Corliss Waitman beat returning starter Sam Martin for punting duties, meaning Bobenmoyer will have a new player at the position to build a relationship with as the regular season progresses. Returner Brandon McManus remains Denver’s kicker.
The Broncos begin their season against the Seattle Seahawks at 6:15 p.m. on September 12.
BASEBALL
Brandon Nimmo, OF, New York Mets (Cheyenne East High School)
Nimmo started all four Mets games last week as New York picked up wins in three of them and solidified its grip atop the National League East standings, where it leads the Atlanta Braves by three matches to date.
The former Thunderbirds’ two-hit and two-RBI day was especially critical in the Mets’ 3-0 win Saturday over the Colorado Rockies, Nimmo’s 10th multi-game RBI of the year so far. . Currently Wyoming’s only MLB player, Nimmo is hitting .263 with 44 RBI to his name this season.
