Their
hometowns are far-flung, and they played in programs all over the
country, but to visit the free agent players who were ignored in last
weekend's NFL draft, you've got to travel to the state of Limbo.
As
pointed out by various media outlets the past several days, and first
detailed by The Sports Xchange several months ago, nearly 500 undrafted
players who normally would have been signed by the league's 32 teams by
now remain victims of the NFL lockout. No minicamps, no OTAs, no
contracts or even pedestrian signing bonuses, and perhaps no summer
work, even for guys who might otherwise have been little more than
training camp fodder.
"It sucks," said
North Carolina cornerback Kendric Burney, arguably one of the
highest-rated players undrafted, and likely to have been a so-called
"priority" free agent in most years. "All you can do is stand by."
There
was a strange silence surrounding NFL teams when the last of the 254
choices was completed Saturday evening. In normal years, scouts would
immediately be calling undrafted prospects -- in truth, such contact
actually began in later rounds of the draft, to begin lining up players
-- to offer contracts. There were no such calls last weekend. Teams
finished their choices and closed up shop.
"It
used to be that the calls would start as early as, say, the fourth
round," said agent Don Henderson, with two clients (long snapper Danny
Aiken of Virginia and Cincinnati kicker Jake Rogers) who were not
drafted but typically would have been signed right after the lottery.
"This year, no calls. The silence was deafening. It's like running in
place. And no one knows when it's going to end."
If
there was any skirting the contact rules set by the lockout, with teams
phoning undrafted prospects to gauge their interest and perhaps
establish some wink-nod parameters for future deals, no one was
admitting it. In fact, agent Pat Dye Jr., whose firm represents three
undrafted players, said efforts to "sell" players to franchises in the
late stages of the draft were futile.
"We called every team about our guys," Dye said. "And teams weren't taking phone calls and weren't returning them."
One agent who represents an NFL coach said that not even his client would accept his call during the draft.
Clearly,
the league office issued a memo directing teams against such contact
and detailing the potential ramifications of it, and franchises heeded
it.
And so the wait continues.
"We're
telling our guys to hang tight," Dye said. "Continue working out, stay
in shape, be ready, and we'll see where things go."
Said
Notre Dame defensive tackle Ian Williams, who expected to be selected
in the middle rounds, but went undrafted: "The hardest thing for some
athletes is patience. But that's just how it is."
For
now, at least, most free agents who figured to be signed to deals, and
getting ready for orientation minicamps, remain solid in their hopes of
an NFL opportunity. If the lockout stretches into June or July, however,
and realistic chances of earning an NFL roster spot diminish, some may
consider alternative leagues.
The UFL
earlier this week held its draft and part of the mindset was to select
players who were undrafted by the NFL and, perhaps, to take advantage of
the lockout to offer an alternative. But of the 52 players chosen in
the UFL draft, only seven were among the top five undrafted players at
their respective positions, as rated by NFLDraftScout.com.
Arguably
the highest-profile undrafted player, Boston College linebacker Matt
Herzlich, chosen by Omaha of the UFL, has indicated he will wait a while
longer to see what occurs with the lockout. Kentucky tailback Derrick
Locke, another player who figures to be an NFL "priority" free agent,
replied, "I'm not going to that (crap)," when asked if he would sign
with the UFL. Henderson indicated that, because of the restrictive
contracts offered by the UFL, the alternative league "isn't an option"
for his clients right now.
One
undrafted player who sources told The Sports Xchange will likely sign
with the UFL is Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson, who was chosen
first overall, by Hartford, in the UFL draft. Johnson, who had shoulder
problems during his junior season and lost his starting job as a
senior, is apparently attempting to demonstrate to NFL scouts that he is
healthy again.
At this point, though,
he appears to be in the minority. Most undrafted players who felt they
would be signed as free agents in a normal year, appear prepared to hang
tough and see how the NFL lockout proceeds. As unpalatable as Limbo
seems to be, it's the desired state for now.
"It's
wait and see," said Fort Valley State wide receiver Ricardo Lockette, a
sprinter many felt would be drafted. "It's hard, but it is what it is."
Len
Pasquarelli is a Senior NFL Writer for The Sports Xchange. He has
covered the NFL for 33 years and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of
Fame selection committee. His NFL coverage earned recognition as the
winner of the McCann Award for distinguished reporting in 2008.
- By Len Pasquarelli, Senior NFL Writer, The Sports Xchange
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NEW YORK - Among the biggest losers of the 2011 NFL Draft are the
hundreds of undrafted free agents whose phones didn't ring in the hours
after the end of the seventh round.
In a historic situation, players who weren't drafted can't be
signed until the labor mess is sorted out and player transactions can
take place.
Typically, teams are on the phone with their top undrafted
free-agent targets throughout the final day of the event, trying to
convince them to sign on. And many negotiate bigger signing bonuses than
late-round draft picks as agents review each team's draft picks and
seek the best fits for their clients.
There is a fair number of talented players still without a team
after Mr. Irrelvant, new Houston Texans linebacker Cheta Ozougwu (from
Rice University, which is located in Houston), was selected with the
254th pick. The following five players could have easily been drafted as
early as the fourth or fifth round, but now will have to wait until the
league and players - or the courts - finally works things out.
1. DT Ian Williams, Notre Dame
Williams fought through injury in 2010, missing time with a knee
injury, but his toughness and hustle from the interior could allow him
to contribute for a long time as a solid, if not overly flashy, 4-3 nose
tackle/one-technique.
2. WR Terrance Toliver, LSU
Toliver's tape isn't superior, but his size/speed combination still
typically earns an SEC receiver some sort of draft slot. He also looked
good at the end of the season and at the East-West Shrine Game. He
should latch on with a team interested in a vertical route-runner with
enough size to create mismatches against smaller cornerbacks.
3. QB Pat Devlin, Delaware
The Penn State transfer did not impress scouts with his arm
strength at the East-West Shrine Game or his pro day, but his
performance was not so poor that most didn't expect him to be drafted
late. Though he ran primarily out of shotgun for the Blue Hens, he came
out from under center at Penn State and has the size, athleticism and
intelligence to stick on a roster as a backup or potential spot starter.
4. CB Ryan Jones, Northwest Missouri State)
It was surprising that a solid cornerback who produced for a
powerhouse Division II program and who blew up his pro day (40-inch
vertical, 4.46 40 at 5-11, 198 pounds, 19 reps of 225 pounds) went
undrafted. He is raw in his coverage and tackling techniques to be sure,
but it won't be surprising to see him stick as a nickel back with
potential as a starter down the line.
5. DT Martin Parker, Richmond
Another small-school prospect, Parker showed up big-time at the
East-West Shrine Game, but teams didn't appreciate his film enough to
select him even late in the draft. Given time and coaching, Parker could
be an interesting three-technique prospect who provides pass rush as a
high-effort wave player.
- Chad Reuter, The Sports Xchange
