Undrafted NFL Free Agents 2011: A Look at Pat Devlin and the 9 Most Notable QBs

The NFL undrafted free agent frenzy commenced in the wee hours of Monday night. A tidal wave of signings flooded the football news wire, but no signings made more of a splash than the quarterbacks.

Former collegiate stars like Jeremiah Masoli, Pat Devlin and Taylor Potts all found homes over the past 24 hours, and news of players like Scott Tolzien signing with their respective teams continue to trickle in as the madness ensues.  

Some of college football's most productive gunslingers annually go undrafted for a variety of reasons, most commonly due to funky mechanics, spread offenses and off-the-field issues. 

Every so often, one of these overlooked quarterbacks pan out. Will the next Kurt Warner or Jake Delhomme surface from this undrafted QB class? Probably not. But, it's certainly possible, and we're here to give you a rundown on where all of the notable undrafted names have landed and what role they will play in 2011. 

Scott Tolzien

Check out what Pro Football Weekly’s Nolan Nawrocki (the same guy who blasted Cam Newton a few months ago) had to say about Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien prior to the 2011 NFL draft in the 2010 PFW Draft Guide:

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“Outstanding intangibles. Really studies the game. Terrific work ethic—self-made, a film junkie. Understands football concepts. Highly respected, competitive, a team leader. Takes great pride in his craft—football is very important to him.

Mentally and physically tough—will stand in the pocket and take a hit. Emotional, take-charge leader with moxie.”

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Although he doesn’t have a favorable physical build (6’2”, 212), Tolzien clearly has the mental and emotional make up of an NFL quarterback. His arm strength is also a concern, and that might have scared teams from using a draft pick on him.

This isn’t to say Tolzien will ever be a starting quarterback. He probably won’t be. But he might have the best shot out of anybody else on this list.

The San Diego Chargers have reportedly signed Tolzien, and it certainly wouldn't be a surprise if he is Phillip Rivers' backup within a year or two. 

Jeremiah Masoli

Just two short years ago, Jeremiah Masoli was being touted as one of college football's budding stars—a husky quarterback with an uncanny combination of speed and arm strength.

However, the Oregon quarterback was charged with burglary prior to the 2010 season and was promptly expelled.

Masoli landed with Ole Miss for the 2010 season where he posted career lows in completion percentage and quarterback rating. He also threw a career high 13 interceptions. 

Despite the mountain of red flags surrounding Masoli, the San Francisco 49ers have signed him as an undrafted free agent. Niners head coach Jim Harbaugh seems to have an infatuation for dual-threat quarterbacks (drafted Colin Kaepernick in the second round), and it will be interesting to see what he does with Masoli.

Masoli is clearly a long-term project, but he might have more upside than any other undrafted quarterback. 

Josh Portis

Buried on the Florida Gators depth chart behind Chris Leak and Tim Tebow, quarterback Josh Portis transferred to Maryland prior to the 2006 season. The former blue chip recruit hoped to emerge as a national star for the Terps but was expelled for violating academic policies before he ever took a snap.

The 6'3", 211-pound quarterback ended up with California (PA), a Division II squad, where he predictably posted huge numbers.

Despite great numbers and a blazing 4.6 40-time, NFL teams were spooked by Portis' past and time spent in California's simple offense against marginal competition.

Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks have deemed Portis worthy of investment and signed him to a deal earlier this morning. Even though he is already 24, Portis is loaded with untapped potential.

Playing under a player's coach like Carroll might be just what Portis needs, but he will be on the practice squad until he can transition to the complexities of the NFL game.  

Taylor Potts

If there is one thing that scares NFL teams away from college quarterbacks, it's the spread offense. We've seen countless players post astronomically high numbers in pass-happy offenses only to completely flop in the pros. 

Texas Tech has become a hot-bed for statistical monsters but has also become synonymous with terrible NFL quarterbacks (See: Harrell, Graham).

Their most recent product, Taylor Potts, threw for 3,726 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2010, but a lack of mobility, arm strength and of course, his background in the Red Raiders' scheme forced him into the undrafted pool.

The St. Louis Rams have reportedly signed Potts, but don't expect to see him tossing touchdown passes in the NFL anytime soon. 

Pat Devlin

On Tuesday morning, the Miami Dolphins signed former Delaware quarterback Pat Devlin, arguably the most notable name on the undrafted market.   

Four years ago, Devlin, a freshmen at Penn State, lost the Nittany Lions quarterback job to upperclassman Daryll Clark. He promptly transferred to Delaware, where he has amassed 5,696 passing yards and tossed 32 touchdowns in two seasons as the Blue Hens' starter.

Despite his impressive statistics, Devlin has been groomed in Delaware's spread offense and has faced second-tier talent playing in the Division I-AA subdivision. His numbers were also inflated by a dink 'n' dunk offense where his receivers caught short passes in open space and racked up huge yards after the catch. 

Inevitably, Devlin will also draw comparisons to his Delaware predecessor, Joe Flacco. Flacco is roughly two to three inches taller, and his arm is undeniably more powerful, but his immediate NFL success definitely bodes well for Devlin.

Flacco's success running the Ravens run-first offense makes Devlin a natural fit for the 'Fins, and a possible future NFL contributor.

Ben Chappell

Despite serving as the Indiana Hoosiers captain for two consecutive seasons, undersized quarterback Ben Chappell's NFL outlook is grim. At 6'1", he will struggle to see over his lineman and deliver accurate balls downfield. 

More importantly, Chappell wasn't very productive at IU. In two seasons as the Hoosiers starter, he won only 10 games. He also threw 24 interceptions over that span. To his credit, though, Chappell is a scrappy leader who did throw for 3,295 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2010.

The Washington Redskins have reportedly signed Chappell, and will give him a shot to succeed. Chappell will have to transition from a shotgun heavy background to the 'Skins classic pro-style offense. He could amount to a nice No. 3 quarterback down the line, but he'll have to overcome overwhelming odds.  

Adam Weber

The Denver Broncos added to their collection of quarterbacks by signing former Minnesota Gopher Adam Weber this morning. Weber posted rather impressive numbers for the Golden Gophers in 2010, but the team mustered up a measly three victories. 

It's difficult to gauge how much Weber is at fault for Minnesota's struggles, but it clearly demolished his draft stock. To his credit, Weber maintained a 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio and posted a career high 129.9 QB rating in 2010.

However, part of being a great quarterback is making players around you better, and Weber did not appear to do so. He is a four-year starter with good stats, but it's hard to see Weber going far in the NFL. 

Jerrod Johnson

If you were to build the prototypical NFL quarterback, you might end up with a player that looks like Jerrod Johnson. At 6'5", 251 pounds, Johnson boasts a jaw-dropping physique that is complemented by 4.7 40-speed.

Unfortunately, you can't judge a book by its cover, and Johnson has several fundamental flaws. He has an odd, inconsistent throwing motion that often results errant and floating passes. Also, after throwing for 3,579 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2009, he threw for just 1,947 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2010.

Johnson's steep decline forced Texas A&M head coach Mike Sherman to bench his senior captain during the season.

The Philadelphia Eagles have reportedly landed Johnson, and he could easily be a huge steal. Just two years ago he was one of the best quarterbacks in college football. If Philly can revive the Jerrod Johnson we saw in 2009, there's no telling how successful he can be.

But all NFL scouts don't appear to believe he will grasp that greatness again. Otherwise, he probably would have been drafted.  

Adam Froman

Had Louisville quarterback Adam Froman avoided the injury bug in 2010, there's a small chance he could have been selected in the latter rounds of the draft. In eight starts for the Cardinals, Froman threw for 1,633 yards and 11 touchdowns, posting a marginal 4-4 record along the way. 

But Froman graduated from Louisville without a full season on his resume, so it's nearly impossible to predict any large scale success for the 6'4", 220-pound quarterback. Also, the recent failures of Cardinals quarterbacks Brian Brohm and Hunter Cantwell bodes poorly for Froman's prospectus.  

The Atlanta Falcons have reportedly agreed to a contract with Froman, and he'll likely be practice squad fodder barring any significant breakthroughs.