With the NFL season getting into full swing, here is a look at how a number of former South Carolina Gamecocks receivers are making their mark with their NFL squads.
San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Bruce Ellington saw limited action in his NFL debut last week, returning just one punt for 13 yards in the Niners’ 28-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1. However that may change, as the 23 year-old, who amassed 775 receiving yards and eight TDs last season in his final campaign with the Gamecocks, has reportedly been warming up with running backs this week at 49ers practice, leading to speculation that San Francisco is looking to use Ellington as a third RB.
The Niners currently have just two running backs on their depth chart, Carlos Hyde and Frank Gore, and with no immediate plans surfacing to add further depth through free agency, the club could turn to Ellington in their Week 2 tilt with the Chicago Bears, a game in which they are favored by 7-points in NFL betting news at bettingsports.com.
The Bears meanwhile, may be without former Gamecocks WR Alshon Jeffrey for Sunday’s game. Jeffrey, who was drafted 45th overall by the Bears in the 2012 NFL Draft, suffered an apparent hamstring injury late in the Bears’ 23-20 Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The 23 year-old had gotten the season off to a solid start against Buffalo, gaining 71 yards on five catches, following a solid 2013 campaign in which he finished sixth in the league with 1421 receiving yards, along with seven TDs.
St. Louis Rams tight end Jared Cook had a productive Week 1, snagging four passes for 56 yards, albeit in a losing effort, as the Rams were crushed at home, 34-6 by the Minnesota Vikings.
Cook, who sits atop the Ram’s depth chart at tight end, enters his second season with the Rams following four years with the Tennessee Titans. After he inked a five-year contract worth at least $19 million, the Rams hoped that Cook would develop chemistry with Rams QB Sam Bradford.
With 671 total receiving yards in 2013, Cook earned his pay. But the 27 year-old, who averaged 13.2 yards per catch last year, may be forced to make adjustments this season following Bradford’s season-ending knee injury, catching shorter passes from whoever is throwing the balls for the Rams this season. In his final season with South Carolina in 2012, Cook caught for 531 yards and nine TDs.
Jacksonville Jaguars WR Ace Sanders will not see any NFL action until at least Week 5 as he sits out a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Sanders, who caught 51 passes for 484 yards in his rookie campaign with the Jags in 2013, took a leave of absence from the squad in July to address his personal issues, but returned to the club in the pre-season, and is eligible to return to full duty on September 29.
