The Unwanted All-Pros

Here's a segment from Gregg Easterbrook's latest Page 2 column.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/070123

It's the last part of the column.

There's a lesson here: The draft isn't THAT important. Enjoy.

All-Unwanted All Pros: Each year Tuesday Morning Quarterback names the All-Unwanted All Pros -- the NFL's best players who went undrafted, or were let go, or both. My definition of "let go" is hazy. Traded players do not qualify as let go, since their teams got something in return. Players whose original teams could not keep them for salary cap reasons don't qualify. But anyone who was waived or who left in free agency when his original team made no bona-fide attempt to retain him can make my squad. An asterisk means the player has been let go more than once, or went undrafted and was also let go; boldface means the player belongs in the real Pro Bowl. You'll see a lot of boldface in my All-Unwanted All-Pros, which tells you just how many successful NFL performers were originally shrugged at by the experts.


First Team


OFFENSIVE LINE
Ruben Brown, Chicago (was waived in 2003 as washed up)
Jamar Nesbit,* New Orleans (undrafted and waived twice)
Jeff Saturday , Indianapolis (future first-ballot Hall of Fame center was undrafted)
Brian Waters, Kansas City (undrafted former Berlin Thunder player)
Steve Neal,* New England (undrafted, waived twice, did not play college football)


TIGHT END
Antonio Gates , San Diego (undrafted and did not play football in college)


WIDE RECEIVERS
Reche Caldwell, New England (dismissed by league as a bust, this season Caldwell started more games for the Patriots than in his entire previous four-year career)
Mike Furrey,* Detroit (undrafted and waived twice in the Arena League; was a defensive back in 2005)


TAILBACKS
Willie Parker, Pittsburgh (undrafted and did not start in college)
Warrick Dunn, Atlanta (let go by Tampa as "too small," just completed third consecutive thousand-yard season)


FULLBACK
Lorenzo Neal,* San Diego (let go four times, was blocking back during the best years of LaDainian Tomlinson, Corey Dillon and Eddie George)

QUARTERBACK
Drew Brees, New Orleans (unwanted in San Diego and turned down when he offered to play for Miami)


DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
Bryce Fisher,* Seattle (graduate of the Air Force Academy, where they make you attend class!)
Trevor Pryce, Baltimore (four-time Pro Bowler was let go by Denver after 2005 season)
Warren Sapp, Oakland (led league in sacks by a defensive tackle; two years ago, CBS Sportsline said of Sapp, "This guy is done. Finished.")
Pat Williams,* Minnesota (undrafted; Minnesota's incredible figure of just 2.8 yards per rush allowed is largely this large gentlemen's doing)


LINEBACKERS
London Fletcher,* Buffalo (undrafted after playing DIII in college; since 2000 has more tackles than Ray Lewis or Zach Thomas)
Bart Scott, Baltimore (first-round picks Terrell Suggs and Adalius Thomas get the press, undrafted Scott does the work)
Mike Vrabel, New England


DEFENSIVE BACKS
Ryan Clark,* Pittsburgh (undrafted and let go three times)
Ty Law,* Kansas City
Walt Harris, San Francisco (Chainsaw Dan Snyder released Harris to free up money to sign safety Adam Archuleta, who failed to start for Washington)
Kevin Kaesviharn,* Cincinnati (see below)


Second Team


OFFENSIVE LINE
Joe Andruzzi,* Cleveland (undrafted, waived twice and played DII in college)
Marc Colombo, Dallas (dismissed by the league as a bust, started only two games from 2003 to 2005)
Pete Kendall, Jersey/B
Chris Naeole, Jacksonville
Jason Peters,* Buffalo (undrafted and waived twice; was a tight end in college)


TIGHT END
Desmond Clark, Chicago


WIDE RECEIVERS
Terrell Owens,* Dallas (it hurts to put him here, but he caught 13 touchdown passes)
Wes Welker,* Miami (makes it over Terry Glenn because Welker is also a special teams ace)


TAILBACKS
Thomas Jones, Chicago
Chester Taylor, Minnesota


FULLBACK
Jim Finn,* Jersey/A (Ivy League grad from Penn)


QUARTERBACK
Jeff Garcia,* Philadelphia (undrafted former CFL player, let go twice in NFL)


DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
Jason Ferguson, Dallas
Vonnie Holliday,* Miami
Rod Coleman, Atlanta
Kelly Gregg,* Baltimore (tastefully named!)


LINEBACKERS
Ben Leber, Minnesota
Donnie Edwards, San Diego (plays inside linebacker at 227 pounds)
David Thornton, Tennessee (once had 145 tackles with Colts)


DEFENSIVE BACKS
Darren Sharper, Minnesota
Robert Griffith,* Arizona (undrafted and let go twice, has had an impressive 13-year NFL career)
Marlon McCree,* San Diego (Marlon -- on fourth down, knock it down!)
Brian Williams, Jacksonville


KICKING TEAMS
Placekicker: Robbie Gould, Chicago (undrafted, his 143-point season would have led the league in scoring were it not for LaDainian Tomlinson's 31 touchdowns)
Punter: Brian Moorman,* Buffalo
Long-snapper: Jon Dorenbos,* Philadelphia (during offseason, works as a magician in Vegas)
Returner: B.J. Sams, Baltimore
Special teamers: Sean Morey, Pittsburgh (Ivy league grad from Brown); Kassim Osgood*, San Diego


Honorable mention: Morten Andersen, Atlanta. The NFL's new all-time leading scorer was let go FIVE TIMES and did not play in 2005 because no one wanted him





AP Photo/Tom Uhlman
TMQ's Unwanted Player of the Year.Tuesday Morning Quarterback's Unwanted Player of the Year is Kevin Kaesviharn, safety and nickel back for Cincinnati. Kaesviharn played Division II ball at tiny Augustana in South Dakota, graduated in 1997, and was out of football for four years before earning a tryout in 2001 with the Green Bay Packers, who promptly waived him. Kaesviharn caught on as a Bengals' special-teams player, then was waived and re-signed three times. Kaesviharn gradually played his way into the lineup, starting most Cincinnati games since 2003, and drew some votes for the Pro Bowl this season. At the risk of sounding really corny -- kids, if you've got a dream, never give up.

 

Pete Kendall made the second team.