MVN - Most Valuable Network

Undrafted But Not Unforgotten

As is usual soon after the draft, the Broncos picked up a quick slate of undrafted free agents.  As anyone who’s followed the team knows, these players cannot be taken for granted.  Rod Smith and Matt Lepsis are two prominent examples of that fact.  The number of rookies signed is smaller than most teams this year—however, there are a couple of them that stand out as possible diamonds in the rough.

The first is linebacker Wesley Woodyard out of Kentucky.  Woodyard was a group of three linebackers that (unjustly, in my opinion) went undrafted due to concerns about size and durability.  The other two were linebackers that I had my eye on as possible Broncos draftees—Ali Highsmith of LSU (who signed with the Cardinals) and Erin Henderson of Maryland (who joined his brother EJ in Minnesota).

Keep in mind, however, that the Broncos value athleticism over size not only on the offensive line, but with linebackers as well.  Ian Gold is a prominent example.  Thus it was a good sign that Denver was able to convince Woodyard to come to town, as other strong teams like skills that linebackers like Woodyard bring. (The Indianapolis Colts is an excellent example.)  Look for Woodyard to compete for a weakside linebacker spot on the depth chart.

The other rookie signee of intrigue is Houston’s Anthony Alridge.  While his more heralded teammates have had more prominent arrivals to the NFL (Kevin Kolb was the Eagles’ first draft choice last year, and Donnie Avery was (shockingly) the first wide receiver taken in this year’s draft), Alridge made a name of his own due to outstanding speed and quickness.  Those attributes immediately make you think that he could play into the returner mix that’s so badly needed in Denver.  Second round selection Eddie Royal has to have the inside track both the kick and punt jobs, but Alridge may be able to snag one of the two jobs if he works hard.

The slate of undrafted free agents also include a kicker and a punter.  Oklahoma’s Garrett Hartley will compete with Matt Hartley to succeed Jason Elam.  His positive is a strong leg (stronger when entering Denver), his negative is accuracy.  He was also injured in his last season, so there may be room to pull the aberration card.  At the very least, he may be able to help out on kickoffs if the Broncos want to donate a roster spot to that role.  Toledo’s Brett Kern will compete with Sam Paulescu for the punter’s job, and like Hartley, he has a strong leg.  It will be intriguing to see if either of the youngsters can claim a spot in training camp.

Two other rookies signed include offensive linemen Mitch Erickson from South Dakota State (tapping the Dakotas once again after netting Chris Kuper) and Tyler Polumbus of Colorado (trying to become the next Lepsis?)  The group is rounded out with wide receiver Lorne Sam from UTEP.

To make room for the rookies, the Broncos cut several veterans.  The two of most notice are Steve Cargile and Paul Smith.  Both of the two players made a decent contribution to special teams in their tenure in Denver, so hopefully their releases speak numbers about the special teams potential of the rookies in hand.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2008 at 5:20 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.