Rob Gronkowski running after the catch was one of the best parts of the Mike Stoops era. Tucson Citizen photo

Mike Stoops was the football coach of the Arizona Wildcats for 7 1/2 seasons, during which time he brought in some of the program’s all-time brightest stars.

Cornerback Antoine Cason won the 2007 Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back and was a late first-round pick in 2008.

Wide receiver Mike Thomas is the Pac-12 career leader in receptions.

Tight end Rob Gronkowski was a beast — albeit, all too briefly at Arizona — before quickly becoming a star with the New England Patriots.

Senior quarterback Nick Foles is on pace to rewrite several school season and career passing records in the next six week.

There definitely were some high notes, but in putting together an All-Stoops team, a couple of issues emerge — the dearth of standouts on the offensive line and a lack of explosive playmakers at linebacker.

Here is a look at the best who played for Stoops — the All-Stoops team:

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Rob Gronkowski celebrates his 10th touchdown of his rookie season, which came against Miami on Jan. 2. Photo by Stew Milne-US PRESSWIRE

Updates with the Vikings waiving OL Conan Amituanai, and the Lions waiving RB Mike Bell and S Michael Johnson on Monday. The Bengals, according to a report, reached an injury settlement with DT Lolomana Mikele before releasing him.

As of Monday night there were 19 former Arizona Wildcats football players on NFL rosters; teams have to cut to 80 by Tuesday and then to 53 by Sept. 3.

Several ex-Cats won’t survive those cuts but could end up on practice squads or hook on with other teams.

Since camps began, seven former Arizona players have been waived — rookie free agent OL Conan Amituanai (Minnesota), rookie free agent receiver Travis Cobb (Chicago), rookie free agent DT Lolomana Mikaele (Cincinnati), running back Chris Henry (Seattle), running back Mike Bell (Lions), defensive back Michael Johnson (Lions) and veteran tight end Brandon Manumaleuna, who failed his physical in Chicago.

Here is a breakdown of who is still standing, for now:

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Brooks Reed sacks New Orleans quarterback Chase Daniel and forces a fumble on Saturday. Photo by Troy Taormina-US PRESSWIRE

Former Arizona Wildcats defensive end Brooks Reed, coming off an impressive preseason game, is solidifying his spot in the Houston Texans’ rotation as a rookie.

Reed, a second-round pick, had two sacks and forced two fumbles Saturday against the New Orleans Saints.

“He’s probably the one player right now showing the most vast improvement from day-to-day, practice-to-practice and game-to-game,” said Texans coach Gary Kubiak.

Reed is making the transition to outside linebacker, although he plays as a rush end in passing situations.

Kubiak said Reed, a Sabino High graduate, also will be a big help on special teams.

Said Reed in the Houston Chronicle about his Saturday performance: “Besides those two plays, I feel like I could have done better. That’s what the preseason’s for. So far, it’s been a huge learning experience for me.”

Reed is listed second-string at strong-side linebacker. His former University of Arizona teammate, Earl Mitchell, is competing with Shaun Cody for the starting nose tackle position for the Texans.

Brooks Reed takes on a tackling dummy on the first day of camp, Aug. 1. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images

Arizona sent three defensive ends into the NFL Draft — second-rounder Brooks Reed (Houston), sixth-rounder Ricky Elmore (Green Bay) and seventh-round selection D’Aundre Reed (Minnesota).

Brooks Reed is drawing positive reviews as he makes the conversion to outside linebacker. Texans coach Gary Kubiak said this after evaluating the team’s first preseason game:

“Brooks Reed didn’t have the sacks, so to speak, but when you went back and watched the game, I was very encouraged by him. I thought he did a nice job.”

Meanwhile, Elmore appears to be struggling while trying to make the same position switch to outside linebacker.

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Brooks Reed's hustle is one reason why he was a second-round pick. Photo by Mark Evans, TucsonCitizen.com

Former Arizona Wildcat defensive end Brooks Reed has some financial security.

Reed, a Sabino High graduate and a second-round pick of the Houston Texas, signed a four-year contract Sunday worth $4.701 million — $2.779 of which is guaranteed. Reed, 24, earned All-Pac-10 honors last season, when he had 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss.

Scouts liked his hustle, variety of pass-rush moves and his versatility, as he will move to strongside linebacker with the Texans.

Reed can still go back to end and contribute there in passing situations.

Ex-Cat Ricky Elmore, a sixth-round pick, has signed and is camp with the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers. He, too, is being converted to linebacker.

D’Aundre Reed, the third of Arizona’s defensive ends to be drafted this year, signed the Minnesota as a seventh-round pick.

Ricky Elmore (57) is all smiles as he pushes Ethan Olson, from Coal City, Ill., on his tiny bike on the way to training camp practice at Ray Nitschke Field on Saturday. Photo by Evan Siegle/Green Bay Press-Gazette

Brooks Reed can't show the Texans his on-field moves until the lockout is over. Photo by Mark Evans, TucsonCitizen.com

Former Arizona Wildcats defensive end Brooks Reed says he “kind of feels like a hamster.”

We assume that has to do with the whole thing of running in a wheel and never getting anywhere.

Reed, a second-round pick of the Houston Texans as an outside linebacker, is still in Tucson. He’s not getting anywhere. The NFL lockout prevents him from having contact with the coaches, prevents him from getting the playbook, prevents him from working out at the team’s facilities.

So, he’s working out in Tucson, doing the best he can to get ready, until the NFL labor situation is resolved.

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C.J. Parish celebrates with linebacker Jake Fischer (left) after a defensive stop in Saturday's scrimmage.
Photo by David Kadlubowski/The Arizona Republic

Arizona Wildcats senior C.J. Parish figured his career was over. He suffered a concussion last year against Iowa in the third game of the season. Symptoms lingered.

It wasn’t as if he was playing a lot anyway as a hybrid linebacker/defensive end/fullback.

“I was like, ‘This is all over,’” he said.

The bad news was the head injury kept him out of action for the rest of the season.

The good news is that the head injury kept him out of action for the rest of the season.

Because of that, Parish, who had never redshirted, qualified for a medical hardship. The NCAA approved the application, and Parish regained his season of eligibility.

Now, he is one of the big stories of Arizona’s spring ball.

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Brooks Reed's speed will fill a team's need at outside linebacker.
Photo by Mark Evans, TucsonCitizen.com

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper, on a conference call with reporters Wednesday, affirmed what he wrote for the network’s website:

He sees former Arizona defensive end Brooks Reed as a potential late first-round pick.

He has Reed going 32nd — the last pick in the first round — to the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.

“For D-linemen in the second-round mix, a lot of these guys are going in the first,” Kiper was quoted as saying in the Buffalo News. “For second round, I have Brooks Reed of Arizona going in the late first. You would have thought second. But I’ll say late first or second for Brooks Reed.”

As we discussed here, Reed’s burst in the 40-yard dash at the recent NFL Combine sent his pro stock soaring.

That initial speed is what scouts want to see from a pass-rushing outside linebacker, which is where Reed projects at the NFL level.

Ricky Elmore, who had 21.5 sacks in the past two years, fires up his teammates vs. Iowa last season.
Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

Former Arizona defensive end Ricky Elmore appeared on ESPN First Take this morning to talk about his draft preparations and how he continues to view himself as “under the radar.”

Here is the link to the video.

Elmore, who recently worked out at the NFL Combine, is considered a mid-round possibility. He could end up staying at defensive end or moving to outside linebacker.

And he talked to ESPN about working out with former Oregon linebacker Casey Matthews and other members of the football-playing Matthews family.

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Brooks Reed is earning potential second-round consideration.
Photo by Mark Evans, TucsonCitizen.com

Former Arizona Wildcats defensive end Brooks Reed, coming off impressive workouts at the Senior Bowl in January, earned more positive reviews at the NFL Combine on Monday.

He told me in an interview a couple of weeks ago that his goal was to “show them I can run fast at 260.”

Well, he checked in at 6-2 1/2 and 263 pounds … and he ran fast.

Reed ran a 4.68-second 40-yard dash Monday, which was tied for third among defensive ends. Lacking ideal size for the position, he also is being looked at as a pass-rushing outside linebacker, so that 40 time was critical to how scouts project him.

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