The list of Buckeyes in the NFL is one name shorter than it typically has been this season.
Tampa Bay waived offensive tackle Reid Fragel, Saturday, clearing room to sign defensive end Josh Shirley from the practice squad. Fragel missed the Buccaneers' last game due to a concussion he suffered in practice.
The former Buckeye tight end and lineman reached an injury settlement with the team as he continues to recover. He would have been expendable soon, anyhow, when starting tackle Demar Dotson returned from injury himself.
Smith Still Struggling in Rookie Year
Among the worst things that could happen to an NFL rookie is suffering injury during training camp. Not only is rehabbing at the professional level a significant adjustment, but a rookie cannot miss valuable practice reps and expect to contribute immediately.
It's not just the physical issues with Devin Smith – he broke his ribs at the beginning of camp while attempting to haul in a surprisingly errant Geno Smith pass. Now he's wearing a walking boot because of a sprained ankle he suffered in Wednesday's practice.
Wide receivers coach Karl Dorrell wants him to get up to speed on the Jets' offense.
"We need Devin Smith," Dorrell said, via the New York Daily News. "We need Devin Smith to hurry his growth (to get him) entrenched in our offense and get him to a level where he’s confident in what he’s doing."
Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey also admitted Smith is struggling to grasp their offense. His snap counts of late would indicate a lack of faith in Smith – he played over 80 percent of New York's offensive plays in his debut against Philadelphia in week three. That number has dipped significantly of late and he missed Sunday's contest with the Raiders due to the ankle injury.
Play of the WeEk
As the helmet sticker policy in our comment section indicates, we self police our Buckeye on Buckeye crime here at Eleven Warriors. Sometimes that sort of policy has its consequences.
For example, the Steelers lined up Cam Heyward across from Mike Nugent for his four field goal attempts. It played out exactly how it did four years ago:
How They Fared in Week Eight
| Player | Team | Position | Stats/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Adams | Pittsburgh Steelers | OL | If he does not practice this week, he will be out for the season |
| Will Allen | Pittsburgh Steelers | S | Inactive for game vs Bengals due to ankle injury |
| Michael Bennett | Jacksonville Jaguars | DT | Jaguars on bye |
| Alex Boone | San Francisco 49ers | OL | Destroyed by Nick Fairley in loss to Rams |
| Philly Brown | Carolina Panthers | WR/KR/PR | Plays tonight vs Colts |
| Kurt Coleman | Carolina Panthers | S | Plays tonight vs Colts |
| Nate Ebner | New England Patriots | DB/ST | 2 tackles in Thursday's win over Dolphins |
| Ted Ginn Jr. | Carolina Panthers | WR | Plays tonight vs Colts |
| Johnathan Hankins | New York Giants | DT | 7 tackles, hit Mark Ingram on sidelines in loss to Saints |
| Brian Hartline | Cleveland Browns | WR | 4 receptions, 32 yards, 2 TDs in loss to Cardinals |
| A.J. Hawk | Cincinnati Bengals | LB | 1 tackle in win over Steelers |
| Boom Herron | Buffalo Bills | RB | Bills on bye |
| Cameron Heyward | Pittsburgh Steelers | DE | 3 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 blocked field goal in loss to Bengals |
| Carlos Hyde | San Francisco 49ers | RB | Inactive for loss to Rams due to stress fracture in foot |
| Malcolm Jenkins | Philadelphia Eagles | S | Eagles on bye |
| James Laurinaitis | St. Louis Rams | LB | 7 tackles, teamed up on tackle for safety in win over 49ers |
| Corey Linsley | Green Bay Packers | C | Packers struggled with Broncos pass rush in loss |
| Nick Mangold | New York Jets | C | Missed game vs Raiders due to neck injury |
| Jake McQuaide | St. Louis Rams | LS | Rams go 1 for 2 on field goal attempts, punt 8 times in win over 49ers |
| Jack Mewhort | Indianapolis Colts | OL | Plays tonight vs Panthers |
| Andrew Norwell | Carolina Panthers | OL | Plays tonight vs Colts |
| Mike Nugent | Cincinnati Bengals | K | Kicked 3 field goals in win over Steelers, Cam Heyward blocked 1 attempt |
| Bradley Roby | Denver Broncos | CB | 1 tackle, shut down Green Bay WRs in Sunday night win |
| Ryan Shazier | Pittsburgh Steelers | LB | 8 tackles, 2 for loss, 0.5 sack in loss to Bengals |
| John Simon | Houston Texans | LB | 7 tackles, filled in for Jadeveon Clowney in win over Titans |
| Devin Smith | New York Jets | WR | Inactive for game vs Raiders due to ankle injury, struggling to pick up offense |
| Rod Smith | Dallas Cowboys | RB | 1 target filling in for injured Darren McFadden in loss to Seahawks |
| Jake Stoneburner | Miami Dolphins | TE | Inactive for game vs Patriots, pretended to be a "dead" guy on Halloween |
| Donte Whitner | Cleveland Browns | S | 4 tackles before leaving loss to Cardinals early due to concussion |
