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."
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Burney turned in a solid showing during his all star
game, drawign interest from a number of teams. (UNC Athletics)
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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."
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Lockette turned in blazing times at the Combine and
his Pro Day yet still went undrafted even after working out
for over a dozen teams including New England..
(Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE).
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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."
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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.
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