Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/123805
irish in the pros boasts 205 career catches for 2,373 yards and 24 touchdowns in 108 games. • Running back Jonas Gray, who signed a free agent contract with the Miami Dolphins in 2012 but sat out the year while recovering from a knee injury that cost him the final two games at Notre Dame in 2011, is finally ready to compete for a contributing role under second-year head coach Joe Philbin. "The reason we [signed him] was from the college film that we saw," Philbin said on March 19. "He's got a real good lower body. So he's a guy that, on paper anyway, you would think that he should be able to function as a pass protector. He's 220 and some odd pounds, and he's got some power and some athleticism." • The Houston Texans didn't let unrestricted free agent tackle Ryan Harris get away, re-signing the 300-pounder on April 9 after Harris started two games and appeared in all 16 last season. Harris was selected by Denver, where he spent four years (34 starts), in the third round of the 2007 draft. • Defensive tackle Derek Landri became a free agent after starting seven games for the Philadelphia Eagles last year, and he settled on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their $3.25 million, twoyear offer on March 30. The six-year veteran, who made 18 tackles in 16 games last season, started 16 games for the Carolina Panthers in 2010. Landri spent the 2007-09 seasons in Jacksonville and has produced 121 tackles and eight sacks in his career. • Former first-round pick Brady Quinn received another opportunity as a starting quarterback in the NFL last year in Kansas City. Now he'll back up Seattle franchise quarterback Russell Wilson for the immediate future after signing an undisclosed free agent deal April 11. Matt Leinart, Tyler Thigpen, Seneca Wallace and Quinn all worked out for the Seahawks in early April, with Quinn earning the reserve role. Quinn played three years in Cleveland, which drafted him 22nd overall in 2007, before a two-year stint in Denver and last year's stop with the Chiefs. He started eight of 10 games played for Kansas City, throwing for 1,141 yards with two touchdowns and eight interceptions. • Cornerback Darrin Walls signed an exclusive-rights free agent contract with the New York Jets on March 25, which is for players not under contract and with only two years of NFL experience. His only other option was to leave the league. Walls played five games for Atlanta in 2011 (two tackles) and six for the Jets last season (two tackles). • Safety Tom Zbikowski was cut by the Indianapolis Colts after one season and agreed to a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears on March 23. The five-year vet hails from nearby Arlington Heights. He spent four seasons with Baltimore to start his career. Zbikowski is expected to push Major Wright for playing time at strong safety and make a contribution on special teams. He has appeared in 64 games (25 starts) and has registered 89 tackles, three interceptions and two sacks. On 16 career punt returns, Zbikowski has averaged 6.3 yards. He has returned 20 kickoffs for an average of 21.4 yards. ✦