CBS Sports’ latest look at NFL roster cuts includes a couple of familiar names for Florida fans.
As teams move toward the 53-man limit by the end of the weekend, former Gators Dameon Pierce and Van Jefferson landed on CBS Sports’ list of 20 veterans who could be among the casualties. Both are trying to stick, but both enter the final stretch with real uncertainty.
Pierce is currently with the Philadelphia Eagles, and his path has taken a sharp turn since his breakout rookie year. The Houston Texans made him the No. 107 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft after he finished his senior season at Florida with 574 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
That touchdown total led the Gators in a single season since Tim Tebow in 2009 and ranked fifth in school history. Pierce also added 19 catches for 216 yards and three scores that year.
The early NFL promise was real. Pierce’s 939-yard rookie season made him look like a fourth-round steal.
But his role has shrunk since then, and he has leaned more on special teams than on work in the backfield. In the preseason, he has 36 rushing yards on 14 carries and 92 kickoff return yards.
He also spent a couple of weeks on the Chiefs’ practice squad last fall after the Texans let him go.
Now he’s trying to make it with the Eagles, but the numbers are working against him. Saquon Barkley is there, and Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley already hold down backup roles.
Jefferson’s situation in Washington is different, but the pressure is just as real. The former Super Bowl winner has three catches for 31 yards in the preseason, and CBS Sports noted that the Commanders appear to have plenty of depth at receiver. Jefferson was a standout at Florida in 2019, finishing with a team-high 657 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 49 receptions before the Rams took him in the second round with the No. 57 overall pick.
He later played a major part in the Rams’ 2022 Super Bowl run, setting career highs with 50 receptions, 802 receiving yards and six touchdowns. For a stretch, he was even the No. 1 receiver in Los Angeles while Cooper Kupp was out. But Puka Nacua’s arrival changed the picture, and that development helped push Jefferson out of his old role.
In Other News...
Jack Pyburn Suddenly Has A Decision Florida Fans Need To Watch
A Louisiana courts temporary relief for 16 players has created an unusual new wrinkle for Jack Pyburn, the former Florida and LSU pass rusher who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent. The ruling could open the door for another college football season even after NFL contracts are already in place, provided the players return the compensation tied to that pro deal.
For Florida fans, Pyburns name now sits in the middle of a bigger conversation about eligibility, player movement and what happens when the college and pro paths collide so quickly. LSU has been mentioned in connection with his possible return, and the situation leaves a very real decision hanging over a player who only just took the next step in his football career. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Redshirt Freshmen Are Drawing Attention Fans Should Notice
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Wilson gave Florida a spark as a pass catcher, finishing with 12 receptions for 174 yards and three touchdowns, while Hanks showed he could make his presence felt in the secondary with eight tackles, pass breakups and an interception. For a team that is always looking to build depth on both sides of the ball, having redshirt freshmen already drawing national attention is the kind of development the Gators will want to keep seeing as the offseason moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Just Got A Reminder Of What It Lost In The Backcourt
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For Florida, the reminder is less about one departure than about the uncertainty around the whole rotation. Javon Bennett and Isiah Harwell are among the names in the mix, but the Gators still have pieces whose status hinges on court orders or NCAA clearance, which leaves the backcourt picture unsettled heading into the next stage of the offseason. Losing a player like Lee does not settle those questions, and it only sharpens them. [Read more 🡒]