Cal in NFL Preseason: Aaron Rodgers, Jared Goff Sit; Camryn Bynum, Jake Curhan Start
Most of the established NFL players from Cal were observers rather than participants in preseason games Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but a few, such as Vikings safety Camryn Bynum, Ravens offensive lineman Patrick Mekari, Seahawks lineman Jake Curhan and Falcons safety Jaylinn Hawkins, were in the starting lineups.
Several others, such as Arizona Cardinals linebacker Evan Weaver and Washington linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk got a long look to see what they could do, and tight end Richard Rodgers improved his chances of making the Eagles’ 53-man roster.
And Texans wide receiver Jordan Veasy, considered a long shot to make the team, may have made an impression.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Lions quarterback Jared Goff and Rams wide receiver DeSean Jackson were among the ex-Golden Bears who didn’t see preseason action this weekend.
Here’s a breakdown of how former Cal players performed in preseason games Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
---Safety Camryn Bynum got his second straight preseason start for the Vikings on Saturday and he had one big play that must have turned the coaches’ heads.
Bynum, who is making the transition from the cornerback position he played at Cal, was in the starting lineup because Minnesota’s regular starting safeties, Harrison Smith and Xavier Woods, were held out.
Bynum was on the field for 54 plays, the most of any Minnesota player, and recorded five tackles. He also broke up a pass that led to a Vikings interception, and you can see that Bynum (43) was excited about the play in this replay:
---Defensive end Zeandae Johnson, who was signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent, got plenty of exposure, playing 26 plays on defense and three on special teams. He picked up one tackle.
Unlike Bynum, who is sure to make the Vikings’ 53-man roster, Johnson needs to do something special to catch coaches’ eyes and make the team.
---Richard Rodgers’ chances of making the Philadelphia Eagles’ regular-season roster improved this week, but it had nothing to with Rodgers’ performance in the Eagles’ 35-0 loss to the Patriots in their preseason game on Thursday.
Rodgers had two catches for 16 yards while playing 26 plays on Thursday. But his status as the Eagles’ No. 3 tight end got firmer on Wednesday when tight end Tyree Jackson, a converted quarterback, suffered a broken bone in his back that will sideline him for eight to 10 weeks. Jackson had been wowing coaches in practice, but with him unavailable, Rodgers has a clearer path to making the 53-man roster, assuming the Eagles keep three tight ends.
Jason Croom, another Eagles tight end hoping to make the team’s 53-man roster, suffered a knee injury in Thursday’s preseason game that may have ended his season before it started.
Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert are the Eagles’ top two tight ends, and with roster spots assured, they barely played Thursday, combining for just seven offensive plays.
Rodgers’ chief threat for the No. 3 tight end spot now appears to be Jack Stoll, who caught four passes for 33 yards on Thursday, when he was on the field for 41 offensive plays and eight special-teams plays.
---Linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk had four tackles, including one solo hit, while playing defense for Washington in its 17-13 win over the Bengals on Friday, and he also had one tackle on special teams.
His most important play was a solo tackle on a fourth-and-2 play from the Bengal’s 39-yard line, when he stopped quarterback Eric Dungey for a 1-yard gain.
Kunaszyk was on the field for 14 defensive plays, all in the second half, and five special-teams plays.
Although he was an inside linebacker at Cal, Kunaszyk is listed as a third-string outside linebacker in Washington’s 4-3 defense.
---Linebacker Evan Weaver got a long look on Friday, playing 28 plays on defense and 10 on special teams in the Cardinals’ 17-10 loss to the Chiefs.
He had three tackles, one of which was a solo stop, while playing defense, all in the second half, and he added a solo tackle on special teams.
Weaver is listed as a third-team inside linebacker on the Cardinal’s depth chart in their 3-4 defense. He hopes to make the 53-man squad this year after spending the 2020 season on the Cardinals’ practice squad.
---Tight end Ian Bunting was on the field for just two plays on offense for the Cardinals, but played 13 special-teams plays, making one solo tackle. Bunting is a long shot to make the 53-man roster, but it will be as a special-teams performer if he does. Bunting is not listed among the top four tight ends on the Arizona depth chart.
---Wide receiver Jordan Veasy was signed by the Texans on July 29 and was not given much chance to make the team. But in Houston’s 20-14 win over Dallas, Veasy was on the field for 26 offensive plays, the most of any Texans wide receiver. He caught two second-half passes, both from former Stanford quarterback Davis Mills, and was targeted three times. Veasy also played five special-teams plays, so the Houston coaches at least wanted to see what Veasy can do.
---Cowboys punter Bryan Anger punted five times for a 47.8-yards average per punt.
---Patrick Mekari was in the starting lineup for the Ravens in their 20-3 victory over the Panthers, but it was at offensive tackle. That’s the position he played at Cal but he has not been there often in the NFL. He was Baltimore’s starting center most of last season, and wasa starting guard in last week’s preseason game.
He played 18 offensive plays and one special-teams play Saturday as Baltimore coaches seem to be grooming Mekari as a versatile lineman they can plug into any spot along the line if the need arises. Whether he will be a starter in the regular season is uncertain.
---Quarterback Davis Webb seems to have a leg up on the No. 3 quarterbacks spot for the Bills after Saturday’s 41-15 victory over the Bears.
Josh Allen did not play and Mitch Trubisky got most of the work. But Webb was 4-for-6 for 30 yards with no interceptions and was sacked once, while Jake Fromm, his chief competition for the No. 3 quarterback spot, was 3-for-7 for 20 yards and was sacked twice.
One thing in favor of Fromm is that he is just 23 years old, while Webb is 26 and has bounced around the NFL. Webb spent last season on the Bills’ practice squad, and he has never played in a regular-season NFL game.
---Quarterback Aaron Rodgers did not play in the Packers’ 23-14 loss to the Jets on Saturday, and he is not expected to play in the third preseason game either. He doesn’t need the work. Jordan Love is injured and he didn’t play ether, so a guy named Kurt Benkert was Green Bay’s starting quarterback.
---Safety Ashtyn Davis did not play for the Jets. He is still on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list as he recovers from his foot injury and is not expected to be ready to play in the regular-season opener.
---Jared Goff did not play in the Lions’ 26-20 loss to the Steelers on Saturday, and Detroit got shut out until the fourth quarter without him.
---Tyson Alualu got his first game action of the season for the Steelers, but it was brief. Alualu is listed as Pittsburgh’s starting nose tackle, but he did not play in either of the Steelers’ first two games. He was on the field for 18 defensive plays against the Lions, and he had no tackles, but did knock down a pass.
---Patrick Laird may have trouble making the Dolphins’ 53-man roster based on what took place in Miami’s 37-17 win over the Falcons on Saturday.
Laird is listed as Miami’s fourth-string running back, and five Dolphins running backs got more carries against Atlanta than Laird, who had just one carry for 2 yards, with that one carry coming in the second half.
Laird was on the Dolphins’ regular-season roster in his first two seasons in the NFL and even started four games as a rookie in 2019.
Miami might keep four running backs, so Laird could sneak onto the regular-season roster again, but it’s going to be close.
---Safety Jaylinn Hawkins was in the starting lineup for Atlanta, and he had three tackles and seems assured of a roster spot for the second straight year. Atlanta’s first-team safeties Duron Harmon and Erik Harris did not play, which is why Hawkins was a starter. But Hawkins, listed as a second-team safety, is expected to get playing time.
He played 37 defensive plays Saturday, but may have to double on special teams, playing six plays on special teams on Saturday.
--Trevor Davis, listed as a fourth-string wide receiver on the Falcons' depth chart, played six plays on offense and five plays on special teams Saturday. He was not targeted on any passes and did not get an opportunity to return a punt or a kickoff. Davis' return skills seemed to be the best way for him to make an NFL roster.
---Wide receiver DeSean Jackson did not play in the Rams’ 17-16 loss to the Raiders. He’s 34 years old, has been in the league 13 years and has had injury problems the past few years. So why would you play him?
---Jake Curhan, who signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent, made his second straight preseason start at offensive tackle in Seattle’s 30-3 loss to Denver on Saturday, but none of the Seahawks’ projected starting offensive linemen played in the game.
He played 26 offensive plays and one special-teams play, so coaches are at least taking a look at Curhan, who is listed as a fourth-string tackle on the depth chart.
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Cover photo of Camryn Bynum with Troy Dye is by Brad Rempel, USA TODAY Sports
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