Ohio State Football: Buckeyes in the NFL pre-season wrap

Football doesn’t end for Ohio State on Saturday. As one of the NFL’s best talent-producing factories, Buckeye football extends to Sundays (and Mondays).

This off-season was no different for former Ohio State  football players in the NFL, and as the calendar shifts into September let’s take a quick look at how Buckeyes fared during the “off” months and the expectations they bring into the 2019 NFL season.

For starters, as we in the football fandom know, there are few if any truly “off” months. Workouts commence within weeks (or even days) after the season ends.

The draft is next, followed soon after by OTAs and training camp before the pre-season begins.

Players coming off of or going into “contract years” (the final season of their current contracts), that made nationwide news were Michael Thomas and Ezekiel Elliott. Thomas was able to reach an agreement to a lucrative 5-year, $100 million extension, the highest total for a wide receiver.

However, Zeke, one of the best running backs in Ohio State history has had difficulty brokering a deal that meets both his standards and the expectations of Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys picked up his one-year option, but Zeke is asking for a longer-term contracy, deciding to hold out for the indefinite future. But not all has been about contracts for the Buckeyes this off-season.

In late April, nine Buckeyes were taken in the NFL Draft, with several expected to make an immediate impact.

Nick Bosa, who was taken second overall by the San Francisco 49ers will be expected to take an already impressive Niners D-Line to the next level.

Dwayne Haskins and Terry McLaurin will also hope to have influence in the Washington Redskins offense. But with QB Case Keenum being named the starter, Haskins will have to patiently wait and learn before he can become the starter himself.

Fellow receiver Parris Campbell will strive to become an important weapon for Jacoby Brissett, who has the unenviable position of having to replace Andrew Luck on short notice after Luck’s sudden retirement.

Other Buckeye draftees like Dre’Mont Jones (who performed well during the pre-season), Kendall Sheffield (who began the off-season recovering from pectoral injury suffered bench-pressing during the NFL Combine), Michael Jordan, Isaiah Prince and Mike Weber (who put up 54 rushing yards in total) will have to work a little harder to earn their place in the NFL. But they certainly proved they have the talent to do so.

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Buckeyes like J.T. Barrett and Johnnie Dixon (77 receiving yards) have an even tougher road to travel to find a spot in the NFL after going undrafted.

While players are often the focus, Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel also has high expectations to continue the success of last year’s 9-7 season.

As a former Buckeye DE, Vrabel has a defensive expertise, but with weapons like Marcus Mariota and Derrick Henry on offense, the Titans should be impressive.

With the Colts being without Luck and the Jaguars being unstable, a split in two games with the Texans could see the Titans winning the division, or at least making the playoffs as a Wild Card team.

Joey Bosa should continue playing at a Pro Bowl-level in San Diego, and Ted Ginn Jr. and Curtis Samuel have high expectations to be important pieces of the Saints and Panthers offensive systems.

Overall, THE Ohio State Buckeyes are primed for another impressive NFL season.