I was thinking about the draft and particularly the leftovers after the draft. The udfa's (Undrafted free agent's). http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCL/is_4_32/ai_94123519/ THEY ARE THE FORGOTTEN masses from college football, the guys who sit through two days of the NFL draft and never hear their names called. Some really don't expect to be chosen; others are crushed when none of the 32 NFL teams selects them. All go into the same pool: undrafted free agents. -------------------------------------------------cut------------------------------ In the final two days before the draft, teams begin contacting players they feel won't be selected. Assistant coaches are told to analyze a certain number of players, perhaps a half-dozen, at a certain position. While some of those players wind up being chosen, the majority aren't. By late Sunday afternoon, as the draft is drawing to a close, team personnel executives are on the phone with agents. Often, one scout is assigned the job of organizing the recruitment of undrafted players. Then the scrambling begins. "You have to convince them that your team is the right one for them," Bradway says. "If you did not draft someone at their position, you have a better chance at getting them. The whole process from the time the draft is over lasts about three hours," Many personnel directors encourage undraped college players to try NFL Europe. Time spent in the Arena League or the Canadian Football League can be valuable, too. When it comes time to challenge for an NFL roster spot, those players strut their stuff on special teams, which is the express lane to the league for the undrafted. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCL/is_4_32/ai_94123519/ ----------------------end article------------------------------------------ This article is kinda old, but the process should still be the same. Now that the jets will be featured on "HBO's Hard Knocks" this summer. I was thinking this could be a major selling point in bring in udfa's they really like to canp this year, that and chance to play for the New York Jets!! This pool should have some very good talent this year as the draft is very deep. I trust the front office to find the diamonds.
does everyone agrees that an UDFA this year should be as good as a 5th/6th rounder last year? This could actually turn out pretty good for the attempt to make the Dline younger: imagine you can get more than a couple defensive 5th rounders in last/next year's draft, that would make room to spend the top picks in BPAs. Plus I'm sure that the best defensive UDFAs would love to play/train under Rex's coaching regime.
I don't know what value to assign UDFA's. I do know that if you want a successful team a good portion of your depth and a starter or 2 on each side of the ball will be an UDFA. I think the best teams continually mine this talent pool and get gems. It is amazing how many players find their way into the NFL via this method. Logically, you would think a significant portion of a team roster would be draftee's, at least for investment purposes (the teams). I think it is all important overlooked area. However, with the salary cap era you can not possibly field a team with too many draftees. The salary structure almost dictates a high amount of UDFA's typically at a very low cost their first few years. Anyway, Rex Ryan has a pretty good history with un drafted free agents and developing them. The Jets have drafted well recently. LDO I hope the scouting staff can find the UDFA's as well as how they draft.
I believe Tannenbaum is on record to have said that the success ratio from UDFA is as good as 6th/7th round pick. No reason not to look at these guys.
don't care if we sign the second coming peyton manning, reggie white, deion sanders and jerry rice all wrapped into one player and he single handedly wins us 10 consecutive super bowls ends world hunger and negotiates world peace #80 was is and will always be my favorite player and the only player who's jersey i wear to the stadium, (speaking as a short skinny un-athletic white dude)
