Robinson, Tovell ink free agent deals; Quave, Washington, Williams accept mini-camp invites

LAFAYETTE – Five former members of the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns football team will be looking to fulfill their dreams of playing at the next level as wide receiver Jamal Robinson, linebackers Dominique Tovell and Darzil Washington, and offensive linemen Mykhael Quave and Donovan Williams announced free agent deals with NFL teams over the weekend.

Tovell will remain in-state as he agreed to a free agent contract with the New Orleans Saints while Robinson, a first-team All-Sun Belt selection, signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Washington agreed to a mini-camp invitation from the Seattle Seahawks, with Quave earning a mini-camp invite from the New York Giants and Williams a mini-camp invite from the Chicago Bears.

Robinson led Louisiana with 54 receptions on the season for 824 yards and five touchdowns. Robinson caught a career-high 12 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown against New Mexico State and added 10 catches for a career-best 188 yards with a touchdown at South Alabama.

Tovell led the Ragin’ Cajuns with 79 tackles on the season including 52 solo stops. He led the team with seven sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss on the year, while breaking up three passes, forcing a pair of fumbles and adding a fumble recovery. Tovell opened the season at Kentucky with seven tackles, including a pair of sacks and five tackles for loss while adding a career-best 13 tackles against New Mexico State and 12 against ULM.

Washington appeared in nine games for the Ragin’ Cajuns in 2015, recording 17 tackles with a pair of sacks. He recorded a season-high seven tackles, with four stops for loss and a sack, against South Alabama, and added three tackles for loss and a sack at Georgia State.

Quave, a two-time Lombardi Award Watch List member, started in the Ragin’ Cajuns first four games of the season before being sidelined with a shoulder injury. Before his injury, Quave had started in all 43 games of his collegiate career and earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors in 2014.

Williams, a two-year starter at guard, started in all 25 games during his Ragin’ Cajuns career after transferring from Blinn Junior College. The San Antonio, Texas native helped anchor a line in 2015 that yielded the fourth-fewest sacks in the Sun Belt Conference and produced a 1,000-yard rusher (Elijah McGuire) for the second straight year.

RAGIN’ CAJUNS 2016 NFL FREE AGENTS
Mykhael Quave, OL – New York Giants
Jamal Robinson, WR – Jacksonville Jaguars
Dominique Tovell, LB – New Orleans Saints
Darzil Washington, LB – Seattle Seahawks
Donovan Williams, OL – Chicago Bears