2011 NFL Free Agency: 10 Perfect Teams for 10 Undrafted Free Agents
It may seem like the 2011 NFL Draft is over, but for a number of guys who were considered draftees last week, there is still some work to be done finding a team.
That's the bad news. The good news is they have some say over where they want to go now. That's not to say the life of an undrafted free agent is easy. They're kind of like football hobos; they have all the freedom in the world, but they're acutely aware that everyone just said they didn't want them.
Still, they'll travel the country looking for a new home, and many of them will find one. And certainly, some teams are a better fit for certain UDFAs than others.
So let's start with...
Ian Williams, DT, Notre Dame, to Carolina Panthers
1 of 10
Carolina selected two defensive tackles in the third round, but they need more than that, if only for depth. If they didn't, they wouldn't have drafted back-to-back players at the same position.
Ian Williams went undrafted, but was projected as high as the fifth round, and Sione Fua is seen as a reach at the bottom of the third.
Williams fits the scheme in Carolina, and while he's not flashy, he can be solid. More importantly, with as thin as the DT position is in Carolina right now, if he outperforms one of the third round rookies in camp, he could be looking not only at a roster spot, but at some significant playing time in 2011.
Teams probably passed on Williams because he spent most of 2011 injured, but if Carolina takes a flier on him (and he gets healthy), they could benefit from his interior toughness for years to come.
Kris O'Dowd, C/G, USC, to Detroit Lions
2 of 10
While it's generally agreed the Detroit Lions made out like bandits in this year's draft, one area of the team that didn't get the attention it probably should have is the offensive line.
Enter Kristopher O'Dowd, the center from USC who started three games in his freshman season and was a fixture thereafter.
O'Dowd is 6' 5", 300 pounds. Which means he is already bigger and possibly stronger than the Lions starting center, Dominic Raiola (6' 1", 295). O'Dowd is a project pick without question, but he was projected as the third-best center prospect in the draft (behind Stefan Wisniewski, who the Raiders took in the second round) and that suits the Lions just fine.
O'Dowd needs some time to bulk up and fill out his frame, and Raiola is under contract for three more years. With a couple of years in an NFL weight-training program and some tutelage under Raiola (who is a master of technique on the offensive line), O'Dowd could not only take over the starting role for a long time, he could become one of the league's better centers in one of the league's more explosive offenses.
Dane Sanzenbacher, WR, Ohio State, to Kansas City Chiefs
3 of 10
Sure, the Chiefs just took Jon Baldwin in the first round to beef up the receiving corps. But it's not like it was a feast of talent before.
Dane Sanzenbacher may not be the fastest, and he may not be the biggest, but he did finish 2010 as the Buckeyes' team MVP, and a first team All-Big-Ten player.
So he is at least effective.
Sanzenbacher could have gone as high as the fourth round, but instead, he fell off the board entirely. Matt Cassel won't complain if the Chiefs take a flier on another potential target for him.
.png?w=256)
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Kendric Burney, CB, North Carolina, to Minnesota Vikings
4 of 10
Kendric Burney, by most accounts, has all the tools he needs to be a great cornerback. But after a fantastic junior season, his senior season turned out to be a major disappointment.
The Minnesota Vikings—who are no strangers to disappointing while under high expectations—are far from set at the cornerback position.
They drafted Brandon Burton in the fifth round, and are not one of the worst pass-defending teams in football. But the NFC North is one place that having just an average pass defense won't cut it.
If the Vikings want to keep pace, they need to load up on stopping the pass, and Burney, if he puts it all together, could be a complete prospect at a bargain price.
Pat Devlin, QB, Delaware, to Washington Redskins
5 of 10
I don't know what Mike Shanahan is thinking regarding his quarterback situation.
I'm fairly sure, though, that he isn't satisfied with it.
So this pairing makes perfect sense, then. The Redskins didn't draft a quarterback, but are likely about to ship one out (Donovan McNabb). So why not bring in the guy almost universally considered to be the top undrafted free agent?
He plays the position you need the most, you don't have to spend a draft pick on him, and he's from right down the road in Delaware.
See? Match made.
Ryan Jones, CB, Northwest Missouri State, to Tennessee Titans
6 of 10
It's tough getting drafted from a FCS school. Ryan Jones dominated the competition at NW Missouri, demolished every test at his Pro Day, and still went undrafted.
Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans waited until the fourth-to-last pick of the draft to address their 29th-ranked pass defense with a cornerback.
I would say there is room for improvement there, especially for a guy like Jones.
Jones is your typical small-school prospect. Great measurables, high ceiling, extremely raw football skills. Any team that is willing to take a chance on him and be patient could strike gold. His athleticism makes him a potential long-term starter, all he needs is coaching.
That will be perfect for a division with Peyton Manning, Matt Schaub, and the No. 10 overall pick in this year's draft.
Terrence Toliver, WR, LSU, to Miami Dolphins
7 of 10
Terrence Toliver lacks polish in almost every aspect of his game.
But he's 6' 4", has good straight-line speed, and he played at LSU.
That alone is usually enough for a team to draft a guy, but it didn't work out for Tolliver.
And I know the Dolphins just drafted Edmund Gates, and they have Brandon Marshall. But can any non-Dolphins fan name another receiver on the Dolphins' roster?
Dolphins fans, can you name another receiver on your roster without cringing in shame?
Tolliver is worth a look.
Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia, to San Diego Chargers
8 of 10
Noel Devine is so small, putting a helmet on him makes it look like somebody turned on Big Head mode.
And speaking of which, how is Darren Sproles doing?
Sproles' future in San Diego has been in limbo for years, but nobody can deny he's a necessary piece for the Chargers. He's a dynamic change-of-pace back and return specialist, but depending on how the lockout/CBA/restricted free agency turns out, he may end up on the open market.
Devine is worth a look, if only to see if he can be as good of a "Lightning Bug" as Sproles himself.
Mark Herzlich, LB, Boston College, to New England Patriots
9 of 10
After everything Mark Herzlich has been through, it seems only right that he deserves to be a New England Patriot.
For starters, he's already in town.
But beyond just that, New England is known as the NFL's correctional facility. Send then your worst problem children, and they'll come out model citizens.
Of course, the reason they're able to do that is because of a strong, respected locker room. So instead of bringing in a guy who is influenced by those locker room values, why not bring in someone who enforces those values instead?
Herzlich is an unbreakable man with off-the-chart intangibles. And he can even play a little linebacker, an area where the Patriots wouldn't mind having some extra depth.
Herzlich was drafted by the UFL, and is currently contemplating the offer. But if he got a call from the Pats, it's hard to imagine him not springing at the opportunity.
Derek Hall, OT, Stanford, to San Francisco 49ers
10 of 10
The team that gave up the sixth-most sacks in football last year took a quarterback in the second round and an offensive tackle in the seventh.
Anyone see a problem here?
Jim Harbaugh may look to his former tackle at Stanford to provide depth (or at least competition) on the offensive line.
Derek Hall is generally considered one of the better undrafted linemen, and it's hard to imagine his former coach not at least taking a flier on him, especially since he's going to already know Harbaugh's system.
I mean, come on. A guy doesn't earn that many helmet stickers if his coach doesn't like him.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
