New England Patriots Free Agency: Analyzing the 2 Undrafted Free-Agent Signings

The post-NFL lockout madness has begun less than 12 hours after the lockout was officially ended, and undrafted free agency has kicked off with a bang.

The New England Patriots quickly joined the fray and have agreed to terms of a deal with Akron offensive tackle Corey Woods and Cal wide receiver and return specialist Jeremy Ross, according to James Christensen at NEPatriotsDraft.com.

It should be noted that the players can't be signed until tomorrow, allowing for a window in which the player or the team could change their mind.

Terms of the deals were unknown at the time of publication.

In fact, not much at all is known about Woods at the present moment. Of course, that's to be expected with an undrafted free agent from a small school such as Akron.

One thing we know about Woods is that he is a durable player, and started every single game he played in his collegiate career.

We also know that he was selected to the All-MAC third team in 2009.

Woods is a true Patriots pick-up, having played both left and right tackle in his collegiate career. That flexibility will only increase his ability to make the team, and with the age and depth concerns on the offensive line, flexibility is even more important than usual.

Once again, we see the shrewd Patriots looking for the versatile players to fill out their roster. Not surprisingly, their next signing was Ross, a special teams ace at California.

He has experience as a kick returner, wide receiver and running back, and his averages are a testament to the explosive nature he could bring to the offense. On his career, he averaged 13.4 yards per reception, 8 yards per rush attempt, 20.3 yards per kick return and 15.2 yards per punt return.

In fact, he is second in school history in punt return average to only DeSean Jackson.

Look for Ross to make an impact as a special teams player, both as a gunner and possibly as a returner. That is, if he makes the roster at all. And thus, we temper our expectations.

While it's the first bit of news to come out of the Patriots organization in months in terms of a roster move, let's not make it into something it's not: a big deal.

These are undrafted free agents, and they still have to be signed, and then they still have to make the team. Fortunately for them, they landed in the right place to have a fair chance. Once you show up to Gillette Stadium for training camp, all the dollar signs and draft choices go out the window. It's all about what you can bring to the team on the field, and whether or not you give the team a chance to win.

Erik Frenz is the co-host of the PatsPropaganda and Frenz podcast. Follow Erik on Twitter @erikfrenz