Cats in the Pros: Former Arizona Football stars make NFL rosters

It is cutting week in the NFL as rosters are being finalized, and luckily a few former Arizona Football stars have made the 53-man rosters. 

The NFL season is just around the corner and that means teams are making their final cuts to complete their 53-man rosters. Luckily for us, a few former Arizona Football stars have made the cut!

So far, this NFL preseason has been a busy one as there has been plenty of roster movement, and while a few Wildcats likely have guaranteed spots, like Rob Gronkowski and Nick Foles, while a few others would have to earn their spots.

With team finalizations made on Tuesday, a few former Arizona Football stars have made the 53-man rosters.

Roy Lopez (Houston Texans) – After putting together a terrific preseason, Lopez made a spot with the Texans without question. He was a 6th round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and given Houston’s needs along their defensive front, this seemed like a given, especially when he excelled in preseason.

Coming in, we will see what kind of role Roy has, but the opportunity is there and we are excited for him!

Gary Brightwell (New York Giants) – Seeing a limited role with the Giants this preseason, luckily the Giants still decided to keep Gary, perhaps favoring youth over experience here.

In Gary’s final preseason game, he showed a lot of promise as he accumulated 10 yards on four carries while adding another three receptions for 20 yards.

Coming into the season, expect Gary to get spot minutes at running back while also getting plenty of opportunities on special teams.

J.J. Taylor (New England Patriots) – J.J. had a monstrous preseason, and this was an easy choice here. The second-year NFL running back just keeps getting better and better, and his style fits perfectly with the Patriots.

Look for Taylor to have an increased role, and with more opportunities, people are going to become more familiar with him.

Unfortunately, on the flip side of that, a few former Wildcats will need to find new homes…

Nick Folk (New England Patriots) – After two seasons in New England, the Nick Folk era is officially over. The veteran NFL kicker was rather productive last season, converting on 30 of 33 extra-point attempts, and was 26-28 on field goals with a long of 51.

Nonetheless, after an intense battle in preseason, Nick will have to find a new team. Now 37, Nick still has some left in the tank, and I would care to bet that he will be signed quickly.

Will Parks (Kansas City Chiefs) – The Will Parks experiment in Kansas is unfortunately over. After finding some success in Denver, Will has not been able to find a new home that works for him.

Despite being cut by the Chiefs, it appears Will could soon have a few suitors, and we hope he will get a legit chance.