Tuesday, May 13, 2014

The Packers Signed 12 Rookie Free Agents After The 2014 NFL Draft

Once in a while the Green Bay Packers will make a big find in the undrafted free agent pool, but typically there's about a one-in-five chance that they even find a decent backup. Looking back at this list of the undrafted free agents signed in 2012, only RT Don Barclay has been a starter (and that was largely due to necessity after Bryan Bulaga was injured and whatever happened to Marshall Newhouse). The only other notables are S Sean Richardson, who might have a backup role next season, and LB Dezman Moses, who stuck around for one season before being released.

Of the 12 rookie free agents signed in 2014, the first thing that jumps out at me is that they added four more linebackers.

ILB Jake Doughty, Utah State. He appears to be an inside linebacker who will compete against LB Sam Barrington for a backup/special teams role. He's undersized but he was very productive in college.

OLB Jayrone Elliott, Toldeo. An outside pass rusher who will compete against Nate Palmer and Andy Mulumba for a backup role. Like Doughty, he's not an exceptional athlete but he was very productive in college.

OLB Adrian Hubbard, Alabama. He's the big name on the list. Unlike the above two linebackers, he was very inconsistent in college (he probably should have stayed in school) but he's an impressive athlete. He mentioned a heart condition, but it doesn't seem to be a concern for him or the Packers.

OLB Joe Thomas, South Carolina State. Another small school guy to compete against Palmer and Mulumba. He's undersized, but he dominated in the NCAA Subdivision.

DE/DT Carlos Gray, North Carolina State. One of two big bodies signed to provide some bulk to the defensive line. He was only a backup last year and a surprising early draft entrant. He seems like a long-shot.

DT Mike Pennel, Colorado State-Pueblo. You can't coach a player to be 6-4 and 332 lbs. He could be a defensive anchor. He also couldn't get on the field at Arizona State, and was suspended after complaining about a lack of playing time.

CB/S Ryan White, Auburn. He wasn't invited to the combine, and he played a backup role at Auburn last season. His 4.51 40 time at his pro day seems slow for a 5-10, 194 pound defensive back.

G Jordan McCray, Central Florida. A big guy (6-3 and 322 pounds) who can play either guard position. The Packers don't have a lot of depth at guard, which helps him, and he can bond with former Central Florida alum Josh Sitton.

RBs Rajion Neal, Tennessee, and LaDarius Perkins, Mississippi State. There are a lot of running backs on the roster. I don't know what these two will do other than provide depth during training camp.

TE Justin Perillo, Maine. He appears to be more of a receiver than a blocker. There are a lot of bodies on the roster, but the tight end position seems wide open at the moment. An impressive camp could move him up the depth chart quickly.

QB Chase Rettig, Boston College. The extra camp arm. His best hope is that the Packers only want to keep either Matt Flynn or Scott Tolzien, and stash a 3rd QB on the practice squad. His college resume wasn't impressive in a run-heavy offensive scheme, but he does have NFL ability.

Overall, I don't feel like any of these guys have a very good chance of sticking next season. Maybe one of the outside LBs will stand out in practice. McCray, Perillo, and Rettig might have a shot depending on how it goes during training camp.

No comments: