National Football League

Study: Packers offer UDFAs the best chance to play in NFL

Published May. 18, 2015 12:42 p.m. ET

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Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson had some research done regarding undrafted free agents and the opportunities they have with his club, according to Jason Wilde of ESPN Wisconsin. The in-house study found that no NFL team fields UDFAs quite like the Packers.

According to Wilde's report on the findings, Green Bay's UDFAs have played 77,079 snaps since 2005. That figure is 42.5 percent larger than the team with the second-most UDFA snaps played.

"We like [undrafted free agency]. We appreciate the value it’s been for the Green Bay Packers over the last several years," Thompson told ESPN Wisconsin. "We had some studies done up and analytics stuff in terms of the number of plays that rookie free agents have been a part of. With the Green Bay Packers—it is something like double anybody else."

Perhaps Thompson is so fond of UDFAs because he himself went undrafted in 1975, Wilde notes. The SMU product overcame that initial hurdle to carve out a 10-year career with the Houston Oilers, and now he provides young UDFAs with a similar avenue.

The expanded opportunity in Green Bay has hopefuls excited to make an impact.

"I didn’t know at first, but now that I see that they’re willing to play the best guys, that opened my eyes even more," undrafted Miami cornerback LaDarius Gunter told ESPN Wisconsin. "I’m already excited, but that gave me more want-to to show them why I should be on this team."

There are a total of 18 undrafted rookies trying to make the Packers squad this summer.

(h/t ESPN Wisconsin)

Photo Credit: Benny Sieu/USA TODAY Sports