New England Patriots Undrafted Free Agency: A Closer Look at Alex Silvestro

Among the most critical of the New England Patriots undrafted free agents negotiated on Monday night was Rutgers defensive end Alex Silvestro.

Silvestro measures in at 6'4" and 260 pounds. Ding ding ding! We have an outside linebacker, ladies and gents.

He played defensive end at Rutgers, but projects to outside linebacker in the Patriots 3-4 defense.

His stat line of 42 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and two sacks doesn't exactly conjure up the dreams of a potent pass rush specialist that Patriots fans have prayed for since the departure of Willie McGinest and Mike Vrabel.

Neither does his scouting report from the National Football Post, which knocks him for a lack of burst and a high pad level. What he brings to the front seven, however, is a physical guy capable of using his hands to free himself from blockers. He also brings hustle and determination, attributes that are held in high regard by the Patriots organization.

The attribute that the Patriots hold in highest regard, however, is character.

A couple of quotes as part of an interview with Dave Hutchinson of the Star Ledger and NJ.com really shine a light on why the Patriots took a chance on him.

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‘‘For me, it’s pretty much anything I can do to help the team,’’ said Silvestro. ‘‘That’s really what I like. Anywhere they can put me where they think I can help the team is where I’ll play. I’ve always given up a lot of weight, even now.

"People can say I fly under the radar or whatever, but I feed off those guys (starting DE Jonathan Freeny and starting DTs Scott Vallone and Charlie Noonan). It doesn’t bother me. If we win games, I’m happy.’’

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It's that type of team-first selflessness that the Patriots love to see in their players, and it's only the players that fully embrace that mindset who have a chance at making the squad.

No one is bigger than the team. Especially not someone who hasn't even made the team yet.

Nonetheless, Silvestro landed in a great place to have as good of a chance as anyone else to make the team. Once the players show up for practice, all bets are off. It's all about who gives the team the best chance to win.

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