Syracuse Football: Keys to Zaire Franklin, Chris Slayton earning more PT

Zaire Franklin and Chris Slayton are two former Syracuse football players who deserve more playing time. Here’s how they can get it in the NFL.

As the NFL enters the final quarter of the season, we look at several former Syracuse football players in the NFL this week and some players that haven’t seen much action.

To recap the Orange on current NFL rosters are Chandler Jones, Justin Pugh, Riley Dixon, and Zaire Franklin. Both Jones and Pugh are on the Arizona Cardinals and had a week off to prepare for the rest of the year.

Former Syracuse punter, Riley Dixon, had one of his best performances of the season against the Chicago Bears.

For the Giants, Dixon booted the ball deep five times. The punts resulted in a net average of 51.2 yards per punt. That mark ranks as his second-best of the year. Dixon pinned the ball inside the 20 on four occasions, which is the most of the season.

Another former Syracuse player in the NFL is Zaire Franklin for the Indianapolis Colts. This year Franklin has just three tackles playing primarily on special teams. Last year, Franklin made a big impact in his rookie year on defense but hasn’t had the same opportunity in 2019. Let’s look at what needs to happen for the former Orange linebacker to thrive.

In 2018, Franklin had a breakout first year totaling 29 tackles for the defense. He also played on 17% of the defensive snaps a season ago and none this year.

Now, there has been a regression in his playtime and statistics, however, the story is still unwritten for Franklin. This season he has been dealing with an on and off injury. And he signed a four-year contract that expires in 2022, so Franklin has time to turn it all around.

Many young players in the league are subjected to special teams until the right opportunity arises. Currently, Franklin is listed on the second team as a linebacker. The former Syracuse linebacker needs to be patient because an opportunity will arrive. And he is more than capable of capitalizing when he is given a chance.

Now, let’s move onto the two practice squad players in the league.

First is quarterback, Eric Dungey. Midway through the year, the former Syracuse QB got signed by the Cleveland Browns to their practice squad. It’s usually difficult for a quarterback to work themselves onto an active roster without something happening to the current roster QB’s.

Baker Mayfield and Garrett Gilbert are the two quarterbacks on the active roster, and Drew Stanton is on the injured reserve. Dungey has learned valuable NFL experience in Cleveland’s organization and has learned the playbook. No matter what his NFL future holds, Dungey has gained experience from the Browns that could propel him in the future.

Chris Slayton, a 2018 graduate, finds himself on the New York Giants practice squad.

In the preseason, Chris Slayton recorded five tackles and did enough to earn a spot on the practice squad. The Giants are a struggling team looking to revamp their roster. They may take a shot on their 2019 7th rounder soon, but it hasn’t happened yet for Slayton.

If Chris Slayton can stick around for the offseason, then he will have a chance coming into camp next year. In Week 13, bye weeks are over, and all Syracuse players will be back in action.