Undrafted FAs

[Freak Out]

Has that WR from Hampton or New Hampshire I think....? David Ball been signed?

yep by Chicago

Shit! I thought we should have signed the guy.

[b bulldog]

powdrell,Simpson and Johnson are very interesting to me

[Joemailman]

Simpson was rated #80 overall, #6 among OLB's by Sporting News. Amazing someone didn't risk a 7th round pick on him.

Juwan Simpson
OLB, Alabama

War Room analysis
Strengths: Is a good athlete with the quickness and speed to chase down plays sideline-to-sideline. When blitzing, shows a good burst off the snap and great closing burst. Is smooth dropping into the flat in zone coverage. Reads and reacts quickly to screen passes. Is great covering tight ends man-to-man, even downfield. Is strong enough to stand up fullbacks in the hole, shed the block and make the tackle. Is smart, and consistently carries out assignments. Reads plays quickly, and does not make mental errors. Will lower shoulder and take on low blocks.

Weaknesses: Is thin, and must improve lower-body strength. Struggles to defeat offensive linemen, and is ridden out of the play too easily. Does not consistently bend knees to tackle with leverage; is sometimes dragged for extra yardage. Is not always aggressive at the point of attack. Has some durability issues. Was not nearly as productive as a senior, and might struggle to reach his potential.

Bottom line: Simpson was a pleasant surprise as a junior but a big disappointment as a senior. Still, he is versatile and has the athletic ability to make plays in all facets of the game. Simpson has the physical tools to become a good NFL weakside linebacker. He can stay on the field all three downs. He also should be productive on special teams.

[Rastak]

From Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News:



ROUND 8
There were 255 players selected in the 2007 NFL draft. But there were some good ones left over. Rick Gosselin had West Virginia center Dan Mozes as a fourth-round value on his draft board. He went undrafted and signed as a college free agent with Minnesota. The Vikings also signed Texas Tech's Alex Reyes, the highest-rated punter on Gosselin's draft board who went undrafted. Here are the highest-rated players on Gosselin's draft board at each position who went undrafted and where they signed as free agents:


Pos. Player NFL team
QB Tyler Palko New Orleans Saints
HB Darius Walker Chicago Bears
FB Gijon Robinson Indianapolis Colts
WR Rhema McKnight New Orleans Saints
TE Daniel Coats Cincinnati Bengals
OT Renardo Foster Atlanta Falcons
G Nathan Bennett Carolina Panthers
C Dan Mozes Minnesota Vikings
DE Xzavie Jackson Cincinnati Bengals
DT David Patterson Atlanta Falcons
OLB Nick Roach San Diego Chargers
MLB Jon Abbate Houston Texans
CB Anthony Arline San Diego Chargers
S Melvin Bullitt Indianapolis Colts
K Kenny Byrd Detroit Lions
P Alex Reyes Minnesota Vikings
KR Selvin Young Denver Broncos

[mngolf19]

From Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News:



ROUND 8
There were 255 players selected in the 2007 NFL draft. But there were some good ones left over. Rick Gosselin had West Virginia center Dan Mozes as a fourth-round value on his draft board. He went undrafted and signed as a college free agent with Minnesota. The Vikings also signed Texas Tech's Alex Reyes, the highest-rated punter on Gosselin's draft board who went undrafted. Here are the highest-rated players on Gosselin's draft board at each position who went undrafted and where they signed as free agents:


Pos. Player NFL team
QB Tyler Palko New Orleans Saints
HB Darius Walker Chicago Bears
FB Gijon Robinson Indianapolis Colts
WR Rhema McKnight New Orleans Saints
TE Daniel Coats Cincinnati Bengals
OT Renardo Foster Atlanta Falcons
G Nathan Bennett Carolina Panthers
C Dan Mozes Minnesota Vikings
DE Xzavie Jackson Cincinnati Bengals
DT David Patterson Atlanta Falcons
OLB Nick Roach San Diego Chargers
MLB Jon Abbate Houston Texans
CB Anthony Arline San Diego Chargers
S Melvin Bullitt Indianapolis Colts
K Kenny Byrd Detroit Lions
P Alex Reyes Minnesota Vikings
KR Selvin Young Denver Broncos

I'm very happy with the number and quality of the street guys MN has brought in.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I like our street FAs, as well. There's a history here of finding meaningful street FAs.

[mngolf19]

I like our street FAs, as well. There's a history here of finding meaningful street FAs.

I haven't been paying attn Harv. How many did the Pack bring in?

[Rastak]

I like our street FAs, as well. There's a history here of finding meaningful street FAs.

Yea, both Minnesota and Green Bay seem to place a great deal of value on these undrafted guys....and that makes sense since the draft is down to 7 rounds these days.

[mngolf19]

I like our street FAs, as well. There's a history here of finding meaningful street FAs.

Yea, both Minnesota and Green Bay seem to place a great deal of value on these undrafted guys....and that makes sense since the draft is down to 7 rounds these days.

I expect a good org to use all methods for bringing in better talent. FA, draft, and unsigned prospects. Makes no sense to disregard any path to improvement.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I like our street FAs, as well. There's a history here of finding meaningful street FAs.

I haven't been paying attn Harv. How many did the Pack bring in?

Not sure on how many they brought in, but 3 or 4 really sound intriguing. The two LBs were thought to be midround picks, but were considered character risks. Those are guys to take a chance on in UDAs--since you don't have to risk a draft pick on them.