Vontaze Burfict: Image-Conscious NFL Will Force Rookie to Grow Up Quickly

The NFL will not give Vontaze Burfict a lot of rope, so it's up to him not to hang himself. Though Burfict went undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft, he was signed as a free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals.

There are advantages to latching onto a team as an undrafted free agent—but there are also disadvantages.

Teams don't have a lot vested into undrafted free agents. Therefore, separation is easy, it leaves no loose ends and no real void. There are no signing bonuses, and there is no guaranteed money allocated for an undrafted free agent. 

Players who join teams in this manner are not being counted on as major contributors—anything they add is a bonus.

So, for a player like Burfict who has a history of negative behavior, this is the sheer definition of treading on thin ice.

Two of the most undesirable things an NFL player can be called are "poorly conditioned" and/or "undisciplined."

Burfict is considered to be both of these things.

Fortunately for him, he is also considered very talented. At one point, he was thought to be an early first-round pick.

But after a 2011 season that was laced with subpar play, a litany of personal fouls and questionable conditioning, his stock plummeted.

Burfict is really fortunate to have this opportunity. Some of his vices are closely related to the NFL's most high-profile initiatives (safety and player/coach/GM behavior).

If he realizes that and matures, this can be a success story.

If not, he'll become one of those guys college football fans exclusively remember, as he will have never made a mark in the NFL—at least not one he can be proud of.

Here is to hoping he quickly gets it right.

It's the truth, drink it straight

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter.