UDFA: Best of the Rest

Elephant

Elephant

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Just looked over some of the names on the list of un-drafted free agents and there appears to be some offensive lineman prospects who might have a chance to surprise people.

Kris O'Dowd C USC.

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=71187&draftyear=2011&genpos=C

Chase Beeler C Stanford

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=75144&draftyear=2011&genpos=C

Zach Hurd G/OT Connecticut

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=75144&draftyear=2011&genpos=C

Here are some more. Feel free to place the names of UDFA's you like here.

Pat Devlin QB Deleware

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=64968&draftyear=2011&genpos=qb

Alex Wujciak ILB Maryland
****I know I am a homer, but this kid motors and was a leader at MD***

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=66834&draftyear=2011&genpos=ILB

Mark Herzlich LB Boston College

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=65381&draftyear=2011&genpos=OLB

Scott Tolzien QB Wisconsin

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=66870&draftyear=2011&genpos=QB
 
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Quick story about Wujciak that will shed light on why I am so impressed with the kid, other than his play on the field.

The photography company I left last fall takes the pictures for MD Football and Basketball. Last year when I was there to take their pictures, I was having the same issue that we always have when we would took their pictures. The kids are undisciplined and don't want to be there, nor do the coaches. When we have issues getting them lined up, usually the coaches help out but none of the coaches here would. Out of nowhere Wojo steps in and snaps everyone in shape. He commanded their respect and they fell in line.

Kid has leadership skills, he never gives up on the play and is talented. I am very surprised he was not drafted at all. At the very least I believe he would be a beast on Special Teams.

But then again, my mock draft was 0 for 8. :laugh:
 
The longer the lockout continues the more it hurts UDFA's. Many will not get enough time to show they belong. If we go into late summer or early fall it will favor older veterans that may have been cut in favor of a UDFA.

Will these kids go out and get jobs or try to wait a new CBA out?
 
I really thought we'd snatch up Ryan Bartholomew, o-lineman from Syracuse. He's only 6'2" but is 300 lbs and has some skills. How he went undrafted, especially when there are lots of teams like the Redskins and Giants who desperately need youth and talent on the offensive line, is beyond me. Hope we bring him in for a look.
 
We definitely need an upgrade at Center.
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Here is my list of UDFAs to look at when the league year begins/returns. Feel free to add or subtract for your own list and post it here. We can agree or agree to disagree - which is cool.

A "P" in front of each name is my personal/preferred choice.

QBs
P - Pat Devlin, QB, Delaware
P - Scott Tolzien, QB, Wisconsin
Mike Coughlin, QB, Boise State

RBs
P - Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia
Mario Fannin, RB, Auburn
John Clay, RB, Wisconsin
Brandon Saine, RB, Ohio State

FBs
P - Henry Hynoski, FB, Pitt
Patrick DiMarco, FB, South Carolina

WRs
P - Terrence Tolliver, WR, LSU
P - Deandre Brown, WR, Southern Miss
Tori Gurley, WR, South Carolina
Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati

OL
P - Zach Hurd, OT, UConn
Willie Smith, OT, East Carolina
Joel Figueroa, G, Miami
P - Alan Pelc, G, North Carolina
P - Kyle Hix, OT, Texas
P - Jake Kirkpatrick, C, TCU
Justin Boren, G, Ohio State
Richard Lapham, OT, Boston College
P - Kris O’Dowd, C, USC
Tim Barnes, C, Missouri
Adam Grant, OT, Arizona

DL
P - Ian Williams, NT, Notre Dame
P - Sealver Siliga, DT, Utah
P - Anthony Gray, NT, Southern Miss
Corbin Bryant, DL, Northwestern
Ricky Lumpkin, DT, Kentucky
Adrian Taylor, DT, Oklahoma

LBs
Mark Herzlich, LB, Boston College
P - Alex Wujciak, LB, Maryland
Jeremiha Hunter, LB, Iowa
P - Steven Friday, LB, Virginia Tech
P - Thomas Keiser, LB, Stanford

CBs
None

FS, SS
Deunta Williams, FS, North Carolina
P - Jerrard Tarrant, FS, Georgia Tech
P - Joe Lefeged, SS, Rutgers

K
P - Kai Forbath, K, UCLA
 
I like some of the players you have there. All but one of the originals I mentioned are on your list and most are preferred. In my mock, I had us taking Terrence Tolliver, but now we have Hankerson and Paul, so I didn't add him on my UDFA list.

I like Wujciak a lot. Still boggles my mind the kid wasn't selected. He is a perfect size for ILB at 6'2" 245 and he has speed. Watching him play, he closed quickly.

I also had Noel Devine as our 2nd 7th round pick, but just like with WR, we chose 2 RB's, so...
 
I'm beginning to think that the confusion and uncertainty of the current CBA situation may have wrought more havoc in team strategies in player acquisition than anybody's actually letting on. There seem to be "Why did they grab player A with Player B sitting right there for the taking?" questions all over the place both on fan forums and in the sports media. This draft was unusual, IMO in the respect that FA was relatively absent as a working variable in making draft decisions because of the CBA situation and the middle-of-the-draft announcement that the lockout was suddenly back on may have disrupted more than a few boards.

FA could be real interesting whenever it starts as teams-like us-try to fill holes they left open during the draft.
 
Elephant said:
I like some of the players you have there. All but one of the originals I mentioned are on your list and most are preferred. In my mock, I had us taking Terrence Tolliver, but now we have Hankerson and Paul, so I didn't add him on my UDFA list.

I like Wujciak a lot. Still boggles my mind the kid wasn't selected. He is a perfect size for ILB at 6'2" 245 and he has speed. Watching him play, he closed quickly.

I also had Noel Devine as our 2nd 7th round pick, but just like with WR, we chose 2 RB's, so...
Click to expand...

Even with his sorted past history in high school, I can look past it, and bring in Devine for a look. I think his size and having been less productive then past seasons due to injury hurt him a lot. Got to see him play at NFMHS a few times, and always pictured him as a return man, and spot duty in the running game in the NFL.
 
I was shocked Mark Herzlich wasn't drafted. I guess teams were scared away by the cancer, but he was a top-25 pick easily if he didn't get it. If and when UDFAs are allowed to sign, someone is going to get one helluva bargain with Herzlich.
 
Lanky Livingston said:
I was shocked Mark Herzlich wasn't drafted. I guess teams were scared away by the cancer, but he was a top-25 pick easily if he didn't get it. If and when UDFAs are allowed to sign, someone is going to get one helluva bargain with Herzlich.
Click to expand...
Should that somebody be the Redskins?
 
I was pretty surprised we didn't grab a center and I thought we'd nab Kirkpatrick late. Praying an agreement between the owners and players is reached soon.

Check out this John Clayton article that does a nice job of summing up the plight of the UDFA.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft2011/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=6492415

Time-sensitive issue: Undrafted FAs

If labor crisis extends into summer months, undrafted class of 2011 could go to waste



The words "irreparable harm" have been used in courtrooms from St. Paul, Minn., to St. Louis over the past couple months of labor strife.

Although I think this NFL labor dispute is causing irreparable harm to the most popular sport in the land, one of the many true victims is the class of undrafted free agents, who can't be signed, contacted or embraced.

Undrafted doesn't mean unwanted. Although most undrafted players don't have immediate impacts on teams, their value to rosters is more immense than NFL lawyers might want to argue. As the 17-week season evolves, teams lean more and more on undrafted players because they fill for the void from the attrition caused by injury.

Last year, 51 undrafted players made opening day 53-man rosters. By the end of the season, that number had swelled to 140, more than four players per team. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had 10, the Dallas Cowboys nine and the Buffalo Bills eight.

With most teams operating on the reality that there is an average of two-and-a-half injuries a week, coaches have to prepare each class of undrafted players for use during the season. As a result, current rosters have 239 undrafted players signed from the class of 2010.

The Packers needed undrafted linebacker Frank Zombo in their 3-4 defense. The top two rookie running backs in 2010 -- LeGarrette Blount of the Bucs and Chris Ivory of the Saints -- came from the undrafted class.

CLICK ON LINK FOR THE REST
 
bird_1972 said:
We would probably need a ILB before another OLB, though, right?
Click to expand...


Wujciak is an ILB. After reading more about Herzlich, I am inclined to pass. But he is listed as an ILB.
 
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