UFA's Can Make Noise

UFA is a shortened form of the NFL lingo called Undrafted Free Agent. These are the guys that do not come up on the 3 draft days but many, I mean, many have a great opportunity to not only make NFL rosters but be a productive member of a team. One UFA that has an excellent later half of the past 2009 season was RB Fred Jackson from Coe College. Where is Coe College. It is a D-3 program in Iowa and Fred Jackson has been with the Buffalo Bills for Four seasons. Another UFA is a local guy (Chartiers Valley HS)from Villanova SS Ray Ventrone who has become a Special Teams guru at first for New England and now the Cleveland Browns. With only a 7 round draft, many players can get over-looked. But really now is the draft 7 rounds. It is not. The draft is really 8 rounds in disguise. 7 rounds times 32 teams equals 224 draft picks. There were in the 2010 draft 255 choices made. 8 times 32 equates to 256 picks which there would have been but the Redskins relinquished a choice by making a selection in the Supplemental Draft in July 2009. These extra picks are called compensatory picks based on who a team lost in free agency. So really draftniks, there are basically 8 unofficial rounds. Let us look at some UFA's and my projection of some of these guys being productive players in the NFL. I am walking the tightrope but let's give it a try. RB LeGarrette Blount(Oregon) with the Tennessee Titans, a legit RB, should have been drafted but problems threw up a red flag. Bowling Green WR Freddie Barnes with the Chicago Bears has legit hands but lacks enough speed according to NFL scouts. Stillman College DE Junior Galette(Temple transfer) can explode off the edge and be a dangerous pass rusher, a New Orleans signing. Rangy WR from Louisville Scott Long had outstanding measurables at the combine but slid to a Priority Free Agent. Wayne State(Mich) RB Joique Bell played in the Senior Bowl and has the necessary talent to make the Buffalo Bills roster. Another RB that can really play is U of Memphis Curtis Steele who may shock the Ravens' faithful. Local CB Terrence Johnson from California, PA was touted by New England and should have been drafted by the Ravens. What makes the NFL Draft an inexact science like meteorology. An undrafted free agent has capabilities of making the Pro Bowl and the probability of a beautiful sunny day gone over-cast with unexpected rain, gives people something to talk about.