Ex-Arizona Wildcats in the NFL: Three storylines for 2019

Gronk is coming out of retirement, right?

UPDATES

Aug. 31 -- Here are the ex-Cats who were cut Saturday: WR Trey Griffey (Pittsburgh Steelers), seventh-round rookie DL P.J. Johnson (Detroit Lions), NT Earl Mitchell (Seattle Seahawks), LB Marquis Flowers (Washington Redskins), S/LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (San Francisco 49ers) and LB Scooby Wright (New England Patriots).

Wright had two sacks in his only preseason game after being signed last week. Practice squad next?

We'll find out in a couple of days about practice squads, and veterans such as Mitchell and Flowers could find homes after the season begins. We'll see.

The Patriots waived LB Scooby Wright III, per source. Scooby stood out in the final preseason game with two sacks. Definitely a practice squad candidate after impressing in limited time.

— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) August 31, 2019

Aug. 30 -- The Green Bay Packers released OL Gerhard de Beer.

Unfortunately, the Packers have released me today. I am grateful for the opportunity that this incredible organization gave me. The fan base is unmatched and I look forward to what the future holds. #KeepBelieving

— Gerhard de Beer (@debeer67) August 30, 2019

Aug. 28 --The Green Bay Packers traded linebacker Reggie Gilbert to the Tennessee Titans for a seventh-round draft pick, according to ESPN. The former UA defensive lineman made 38 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 16 games in 2018 in his second NFL campaign after spending 2016 on the practice squad. He went undrafted in 2016, so he's becoming a solid success story.

Aug. 25 -- The New England Patriots signed free agent linebacker Scooby Wright. The former All-American and winner of the 2014 Nagurski and Bednarik awards as the nation's best defender has played in 13 games for the Arizona Cardinals in his NFL career and was playing in the AAF this spring before the new league went belly-up during its first season.

Former Arizona Wildcats in the NFL

CB Dane Cruikshank, Tennessee Titans

QB Nick Foles, Jacksonville Jaguars

OLB Reggie Gilbert, Tennessee Titans

S Will Parks, Denver Broncos

DE Brooks Reed, Arizona Cardinals

Cut

OT Gerhard de Beer, Green Bay Packers

S/LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, San Francisco 49ers

LB Marquis Flowers, Washington Redskins

WR Trey Griffey, Pittsburgh Steelers

DT P.J. Johnson, Detroit Lions

NT Earl Mitchell, Seattle Seahawks

LB Scooby Wright, New England Patriots

Waived/injured

WR Shawn Poindexter, San Francisco 49ers

*Poindexter suffers likely ACL tear

THREE STORYLINES

The Arizona Wildcats haven't exactly been an NFL pipeline in recent seasons -- only two draft picks in the past three years and nobody picked higher than the fourth round since Nick Foles was a third-rounder in 2012.

So, the number of alums to follow has dwindled to 11 as camps continue across the league, and more than a few of those ex-Cats will have a tough time making their team's final 53-man roster.

Worse yet, there's no more Rob Gronkowski.

For now.

Here are three storylines to follow from among the former Arizona Wildcats in the NFL, with a list of who is where during training camp:

1. Gronk's comeback

It would be sweet for Gronkowski to ride off into the sunset with his third Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots and devote full attention to his pursuit of happiness.

He's 30 years old, financially secure, has cross-over pop-culture appeal ... and can now do whatever the hell he wants without having to inflict more physical punishment onto a body that has undergone 257 surgeries.*

*Not the actual number

But there are plenty who believe that Gronk will, at some point in the season, change his mind and return to the football field. This will be major grist for the NFL rumor mill, no matter what he says about such rumors.

"Whatever I say it doesn't matter. It'll always be crazy out there. You can put 'em to rest," Gronk told reporters in early June. "I'm feeling good. (I'm in) a good place."

Also good: 521 career catches for 7,861 yards and 79 TDs in 115 regular-season games, with another 81 catches, 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns in 16 postseason outings.

GRONK: Football was bringing me down

2. Foles in Jacksonville

He's gone from being Philly Special to a very rich man, leaving the Eagles in the offseason to a four-year, $88 million contract to be the Jacksonville Jaguars' starting quarterback. Being the injury replacement for Carson Wentz was a nice gig while it lasted -- and it led to Foles being the Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl LII -- but this is better.

All he has to do in Jacksonville is be better than the below-average quarterback Blake Bortles was for most of his five seasons with the Jags.

Quick, story about why he is wearing No. 7 in Jacksonville, as opposed to No. 9 with the Eagles -- and No. 8 with the Wildcats.

"No. 9 stays in Philadelphia," he told the NBC affiliate in Philadelphia. "That number means a lot to me and it pertains to that city. No. 7 was always my childhood number. It was always a number that I loved. I wore it in high school. I wore it in middle school. I always wanted to get it back. And unfortunately when I played at college and I played in the NFL, like, the number was never available."

3. Brooks Reed joins the Cardinals

The Sabino High grad has started 86 of 120 NFL games in eight seasons, with 21.5 sacks among his 270 total tackles. The outside linebacker is getting up there now -- he's 32 -- but the Cardinals' defense needs all the help it can get, right?

Reed should be a rotational player for the Cards after spending the past four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and the first four seasons of his career with the Houston Texans.

.@Brooksreed50 bringing the heat. pic.twitter.com/7qm3k8SXbk

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 24, 2019