Wednesday, May 01, 2013

Who Are These Guys? Packers 2013 Undrafted Rookie Free Agents - Offense

It's a little hard to find out information on the undrafted rookie free agents signed by the Green Bay Packers because these are not top prospects. But every year, a couple of them find their way into the starting lineup. This post will start with the offense on this list of the 2013 undrafted rookie free agents posted by Jersey Al's:

QB Matt Brown, Illinois State. He tore up Division I (subdivision) and he's got NFL size (6-3, 223 lbs.) I expect he's got a strong arm, which is why they drafted B.J. Coleman last year, but the other backup (Graham Harrell) is a soft tosser by NFL standards, so maybe a strong arm isn't a prerequisite for the Packers. He's not highly regarded even among the undrafted QBs. CBS Sports.com had him ranked below guys like Penn State's Matt McGloin (who signed with the Redskins) but above players like Nate Montana (he was invited to 49ers camp because, of course he was). Unless Brown shows something in training camp, I don't expect he'll beat out Coleman as the practice squad QB.

C Patrick Lewis, Texas A&M. While he played in college on a winning team alongside the No. 2 overall selection (Luke Joeckel), Lewis wasn't expected to be drafted. He started a whopping 52 games in college and was named All-Big 12 in three seasons. Based on his 40 and shuttle times, he seems agile enough, but he's listed at 6-1 so he's a bit short for an NFL center. I can't find his arm length measurement from the combine, but I'm guessing his arms might be a little short too. He'll probably get a chance to prove himself during the preseason, but he's not going to be given too many opportunities.

RB Angelo Pease, Kansas State. He was the change of pace back for the Wildcats, so it's hard to picture him ever becoming an NFL featured back. At 211 lbs. he ran a 4.50 40 at the combine, which isn't quite big enough or fast enough to stand out from the other backs. While he has almost zero chance of making the 53-man roster, he might stick on the practice squad if the Packers want to keep an extra back.

TE Jake Stoneburner, Ohio State. Good receiving tight ends like Tyler Eifert were popular this year, so I'm surprised Stoneburner wasn't someone's late round draft selection. He'll have to move ahead of TEs D.J. Williams and Ryan Taylor to make the roster, but those two haven't exactly set the world on fire. If he can make some tough catches this preseason and show his value on special teams, he's got a shot at earning a 53-man roster spot.

G Lane Taylor, Oklahoma State. He wasn't considered a college prospect but went onto have a great college career. Now he's hoping to do the same though he was ranked as only the No. 35 prospect at guard by CBS Sports.com. The Packers will have room for a lineman on the practice squad, so he'll have a chance at earning a spot on it.

LS James Winchester, Oklahoma. Watch out Brett Goode! Winchester's a little small at 210 lbs. to snap punts, Goode's 255 lbs., so I'm not sure he can take Goode's role on special teams. Winchester had a great workout at Oklahoma's pro day, with better marks then some skill players, so maybe the Packers are just bringing a great athlete into camp and seeing if they can make something of him.

OT Jeremy Vujnovich, Louisiana College. He's an interesting Division III player with a 6-5 frame and he did 35 reps in the bench press, so he's strong too. He's more likely to become the next Allen Barbre than the next Josh Sitton and he's looking at a steep learning curve from Division III to the NFL. He's only got a tryout but the Packers have some room on their 90 man roster, and they need to improve their depth at tackle, so he'll have a chance.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Winchester is now up to 240 pounds