Four former Redhawks football players avoid NFL cuts

A quartet of former Southeast Missouri State football players again appear headed for opening-day NFL rosters.

While things still can change between now and next week's start of the regular season, the four survived Saturday's mandatory final roster cutdowns to 53 players.

Eugene Amano (Tennessee Titans), Edgar Jones (Baltimore Ravens), Dimitri Patterson (Philadelphia Eagles) and Dan Connolly (New England Patriots) all made the cut.

Amano, Jones and Connolly were with their respective teams last season, while Patterson was with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Amano is the most established among the group as he will be entering his sixth season with the Titans and is solidly entrenched as their starting offensive left guard.

An All-American at Southeast, Amano has made a total of 24 starts during his NFL career while playing in 79 of a possible 80 games at both guard and center.

Amano broke into the regular lineup on a full-time basis last year, starting all 16 games at left guard. He was part of an offensive line that allowed an NFL-low 12 sacks.

The versatile Jones saw action on offense (tight end), defense (outside linebacker/end) and special teams for the Ravens last season, his second in the NFL.

Jones appeared in seven regular-season games. He recorded six special teams tackles and recovered a fumble on special teams. On defense he had one tackle and a half-sack, while on offense he caught his first career pass for 25 yards.

Jones played on defense and special teams in all three of the Ravens' playoff games, recording one special teams tackle. Due to injuries, he saw extensive action on defense in the AFC Championship loss to Pittsburgh.

As a rookie in 2007, Jones played in four games on defense and special teams. He recorded five tackles and a sack on defense, while making two special teams tackles. He made the transition to tight end in the 2008 preseason due to injuries but continues to work on both sides of the ball.

Jones, an All-American defensive end at Southeast, is listed as the Ravens' No. 3 tight end.

Patterson spent last season as a reserve cornerback and special teams performer with the Chiefs, seeing action in seven games. He notched eight tackles on defense and 10 special teams stops.

Patterson appeared in 13 games for the Chiefs in 2007, posting four tackles on defense and 11 special teams stops.

Also a Southeast All-American, Patterson played in three games for the Washington Redskins as a rookie in 2005 and was on the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad late in 2006. He has one career interception, with the Redskins in 2005.

Patterson, who signed with the Eagles in January, is listed third on the depth chart at left cornerback.

Connolly, an offensive lineman, made the Patriots' opening-day roster last year but was inactive for the first five games before being released and signed to New England's practice squad.

After spending seven weeks on the practice squad, Connolly again was signed to New England's active roster. He was inactive for two games, then finally made his Patriots debut in the season finale at Buffalo, playing on special teams blocking units.

Connolly spent all of 2007 on the Patriots' practice squad. He played in four games on special teams as a rookie for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2005 and spent all of 2006 on Jacksonville's injured reserve list before being released that summer.

Connolly is listed on the depth chart as New England's No. 2 left guard.

Jones, Patterson and Connolly all originally made the NFL as undrafted free agents. Amano was drafted in the seventh and final round.