Undrafted Free Agents 2016: Latest Rumors on Top Prospects Available

The 2016 NFL draft has come and gone, with quite a few surprises along the way. Hands up if you had Christian Hackenberg going before Connor Cook. OK, a few of you. 

What about Jacoby Brissett and Cody Kessler, too? OK, please put your hands down if you are members of the Brissett or Kessler immediate family. No hands remaining? Cool, that's what I thought.

But beyond a few guys going higher or lower than expected, we really weren't left with all that much to complain about.

Some prospects who were given fourth-round grades by top evaluators went undrafted. That happens every year. Those players are almost instantly picked up on the undrafted free-agent wire and, in many cases, are better off than seventh-rounders. And, for the most part, that's what happened Saturday night as a deluge of guys found themselves new homes.

What about the remaining stragglers who haven't quite landed a camp invite? Here's a look at some of the buzz going around the UDFA market.

Vernon Adams Heading to Tryout With Seahawks?

Adams did about as much as he possibly could over the last year to find an NFL home. The quarterback left Eastern Washington for Oregon, where he put together a solid senior season on a Ducks team in transition. At the East-West Shrine Game, he was nothing short of brilliant on his way to MVP honors.

Unfortunately, his tangibles got in the way. Adams measures in at just under 5'11" and, unlike Drew Brees, he doesn't possess a trove of remaining elite quarterback traits. He has below-average arm strength, which hampers his accuracy down the field. His athleticism and ability to throw on the run is promising, but he tops out as a mid-tier career backup.

Luckily, there's one team in the NFL that has an affinity for athletic, undersized quarterbacks. Rand Getlin of NFL Network reported Adams will be at Seattle Seahawks rookie minicamp for a tryout. He'll join TCU signal-caller Trevone Boykin, who tweeted that he reached a deal with Seattle after the draft.

Adams and Boykin are going to be in direct competition immediately. The Seahawks have no quarterbacks on their roster beyond Russell Wilson, and they didn't add one in the draft. Tarvaris Jackson is hanging out and may wind up back in Seattle, but the winner of Adams vs. Boykin could compete for a third quarterback spot.

QB Stephen Rivers Gets Tryout With Cardinals?

While the list of UDFAs who made big splashes on the major college level is small, there are a few particular players of interest with NFL relatives. Terron Beckham, the cousin of Odell Beckham Jr., will be getting a tryout with the New York Jets during rookie minicamp.

"I'm shaking right now, boss," the running back told Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News.

Also getting a tryout this week: Stephen Rivers, the brother of San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers. Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 reported Stephen Rivers will be getting a tryout with the Arizona Cardinals.

Rivers bounced around three collegiate schools, finishing up at Northwestern State. He made only nine starts across those stops, six coming at the FCS school. Rivers previously played at LSU and Vanderbilt, where he completed 25 of 65 pass attempts with three interceptions and zero touchdowns.

These aren't exactly inspiring numbers. Rivers joins a roster that's basically already set at quarterback. Carson Palmer is being backed up by Drew Stanton and Matt Barkley, who are players with far better resumes and general NFL competency levels. It's going to be an uphill battle here.