Syracuse Orange in the NFL: Season concludes with playoff-bound players and NFL debut

The NFL regular season concluded on Sunday, marking the end of the first pro season for several former Syracuse football players, while a few veterans also finished another campaign. Of course, a few of those players will continue their season in the playoffs. Also, one highlight of week 18 was an NFL debut for a former Syracuse star. Let’s look at everything you need to know about what happened with former Orange players in the NFL this past weekend.

Justin Barron, Cowboys

Prior to week 18, the Cowboys promoted Barron to the active roster from the practice squad, where he spent the season up until that point. While he played in a backup role and didn’t record a tackle as the Cowboys lost to the Giants, Barron did make his NFL debut, perhaps putting him in a position to make the roster next season and continue his career.

Riley Dixon, Buccaneers

In a must-win game for the Bucs, Dixon came up big. He had three punts, all of which landed inside the 20-yard line. Dixon’s punts were well-covered, as the Panthers had just three total return yards on those punts in Tampa’s 16-14 win. Unfortunately, the Buccaneers didn’t win the three-way tiebreaker in the NFC South, so they won’t be going to the playoffs.

Sean Tucker, Buccaneers

Tucker didn’t get many opportunities during Saturday’s game, getting just four carries, while starting running back Bucky Irvin carried the ball 26 times. On the bright side, Tucker had three kickoff returns for a total of 57 yards. Tucker is a restricted free agent, but could return to the Bucs next season in a bigger role with Rachaad White likely to leave.

Andre Szmyt, Browns

Szmyt ended his first full season in the NFL in style with a 49-yard field goal as the final seconds ticked off the clock to give the Browns a 20-18 win over the Bengals. He was 2 for 2 on PATs and 2 for 2 on field goals in the game. On the season, Szmyt made 23 of 24 PATs and 22 of 25 field goals, putting together a solid season for the Browns.

LeQuint Allen, Jaguars

It was a largely uneventful day for Allen, who didn’t register a carry or target on offense. However, he did see time, largely on third downs, which has been his role all season. More importantly, Allen will continue to play that role for the Jaguars during the playoffs, which could make Jacksonville a fun team for Syracuse fans to root for if they have no other rooting interest during the postseason.

Zaire Franklin, Colts

Franklin and the Colts finished their disappointing season with a 32-30 loss to the Texans. It was Indy’s seventh straight loss to finish a once-promising season. On the bright side, Franklin had an excellent game, leading the Colts with 12 tackles, including seven solo tackles and two for a loss. For the fourth straight season, Franklin finished as the team leader in tackles.

Marlowe Wax, Chargers

After being exclusively a special teams player all season, Wax finally graduated in week 18, getting his first snaps on defense. While the Chargers lost 19-3, Wax was one of the best players on the Los Angeles defense, racking up seven tackles, including six solo tackles. His sudden bump in playing time was because the Chargers were resting starters, although Wax will continue to be featured on special teams for Los Angeles during the playoffs.

Oronde Gadsden, Chargers

On the offensive side of the ball for the Chargers, Gadsden wasn’t too involved. With Trey Lance starting in place of Justin Herbert, Gadsden caught just two passes for 23 yards. He finished the regular season with 49 catches for 664 yards and three touchdowns. Gadsden finished 11th among all tight ends in receiving yards this season. He also has a chance to be a difference-maker for the Chargers during the playoffs.

Ifeatu Melifonwu, Dolphins

Miami’s season ended with an unceremonious 38-10 drubbing at the hands of the Patriots. Melifonwu had five tackles, including three solo tackles, in the loss. He will be a free agent this offseason and will look for a new team after five seasons in the league.