With the National Football League calendar year underway for 2011, there will be a flurry of player transactions almost like never before.
The only real comparison I can make is when the teams signed replacement players in 1987, thus putting an entire team together in a couple of days.
I figure that with the Denver Broncos’ signing of our own draft choices, undrafted college free agents, veteran free agents, possible trades and roster reductions re cuts, the Broncos will average a headline per hour for the next five or six days, basing that on the hours of a normal daylight working day.
It is going to be chaotic.
For a fan, stay tuned, and embrace the chaos. The football operations department has had a plan in place and will now be executing it.
A big component of that is the signing of undrafted college free agents—that is, players who were eligible for the college draft this year, but were not selected. In a lot of cases, the fans have not heard of the names, so the signings get announced without a lot of fanfare.
Do not let that mislead you. Talent comes from many places, and the NFL is a total meritocracy. No matter how or when they sign, or for how much money, they all go onto the field together, and the players determine their status.
In a lot of instances, most of them, actually, the players cut themselves and rise on the depth charts themselves. For eight years in a row, an undrafted college free agent has made the Broncos’ final regular season roster.
With that in mind, here are a few of my thoughts on some of the Broncos who started off as complete unknowns, undrafted college free agents. I think you will agree that their impact in undisputed.
Rod Smith is the greatest undrafted college FA at the side receiver position in football history. That truly is undisputed. He is the all-time leader in receptions, reception yardage, and reception touchdowns as an undrafted WR, and helped lead us to two Super Bowl rings.
Most recently, Cassius Vaughn made the team last year and is a young player with a lot of promise.
But while Vaughn has not become a household name thus far, there are a lot of other examples in the Rod Smith category.
How about Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Willie Brown, who was an AFL all-star for the Broncos before gaining his greatest fame at Oakland?
And also……..
Gene Mingo, the first African-American star in Broncos history and the game’s first black placekicker, who played here in the 1960’s.
Ring of Fame wide receiver Lionel Taylor.
Rich Karlis, who not only was an undrafted free agent but had to survive a 478-player tryout camp just to get his first contract.
David Treadwell succeeded Karlis and was a fine kicker for years as well.
Pro Bowl linebacker Bob Swenson, who started in Super Bowl XII.
Linebacker Joe Rizzo, who also started on that first Super Bowl team. While Swenson played his college ball at big time Cal, Rizzo came from King’s Point, which is the Merchant Marine Academy—the only pro player ever from the school!
Dave Studdard protected John Elway’s blind side for a decade as the Broncos’ left tackle.
When the 1987 replacement games ended, Keith Kartz had made the team and joined Studdard as a free agent starter on 1980’s Super Bowl teams.
Who can forget wide receiver Steve Watson, a great fan favorite still.
Greg Kragen was a Pro Bowl nose tackle here in the 1980’s. A great technician, regarded as the game’s best technical player at his position.
The Super Bowl teams were loaded with free agents who made an impact, including:
DE Maa Tanuvasa and DE Harald Hasselbach, who also helped the Broncos to those two rings.
TE Dwayne Carswell, nicknamed “House,” a fixture here for more than a decade.
That is only a partial list, but I think you get the idea.
So when someone tells you that no free agent ever amounts to anything, it is OK to respond with any or all names on this list, which proves that in terms of player evaluation, like everything else in life, it is often what you learn after you think you know it all that makes the biggest difference.
Tags: Free Agency, Rod Smith
Hasselbeck to Tennessee
Kolb to Cardinals
Orton to Dolphins
Young to Redskins
McNabb to Vikings
Problem solved,lol.
I think your right. Shanny might be finished after this year.
I think the Skins will be fine with Grossman. That doesn’t necessarily take Orton out of the picture. I’m just eagerly awaiting the news to break that Orton is leaving!
I told you Shanny was screwed, Young to Redskins, hahaha!
Who goes to the Seahawks. LOL
Good job Beast. Now let’s cross the t’s and dot the i’s lol.
Palmer, haha.
Seahawks are signing Tavarus Jackson!
Hahahahahahaha Bay, but you are correct. Good memory. I am indeed 22 (23 in september) … so you won’t be catching fire lol
Yea, BBR, sometimes i also think not many of us are in our 20s besides like me. Cdud is like 17 i think and ashley is like 23 as well i think but not on as much as before. I believe Bronco Aussie is in his 20s too for some reason lol.
TRB out…
Oh Yeah! Duh!!
Palmer is retiring,just seen that on NFL Network,the Owner of the Bengals says he isn’t trading him,and even said on tv that Palmer has to retire,lol.
Looks like Palmer is going to have to retire first. I’m curious would he have to stay retired for the remainder of the contract before he could play somewhere else?
Beat me to it, Beast.
My memory is my best ally, that’s why I usually don’t talk out of my rear end, LOL.
Yep…and that’s 4 more years!
The Palmer thing was a joke of course, hence the haha.
Hey this is some messed up stuff,lol.
Bay was pretty much on the money. He knew it was somewhere between 22 and 23 haha. I’m 26 in December. You represent us well TRB!
Why would teams trade a high draft pick for Orton when the Broncos will probably have to release him to get his 8.9mil off the books to make room for FA’s and rookies anyways? Aslo, if Orton is not willing to renegotiate his current contract with a new team then his trade potential diminishes and he can screw the Broncos out of getting any value out of him.
I figured we would get news faster and more furious than it has been today anyways.
The Bengals owners sucks, a real cheap skate.
Yeah, I have files on all you guys.
Brett got released from his contract with Green Bay before “retiring” correct?
Seriously Young will be lucky to land a starting job after he pulled what he did,unless Dallas was looking for a QB,LMAO!!!!!
I told you Bay is an agent. FREAKY!! HaHa!!
OC, I would love to get value out of him but to just have him gone is priority number one for me. But if they’re trying to make it sound like we’ll start him if we can’t get a deal, that’ll keep teams interested. Who knows. Get outta here Orton!
Different situation tho,they didn’t want him back.
Undercover Bronco Agent, or UBA.
Yeah if we can just find a team that will take his contract at this point would satisfy me!
LMAO!! Never a dull moment!
Federal Bronco of Investigation
There is definitely value in just having that cap space and not having a guy who breaks down under pressure at the helm.
Bay sleeps at the Dove Valley headquarters. I know it.
I still hope we get a 2nd or 3rd round pick in the 2012 draft.
Me too…
The real noise at our facility in Denver might not take place until Thursday. Today is rather slow because of players restructuring, cuts and the such.
any word on the Broncos undrafted free agent signings?
Raiders just signed Jarvis Moss. Remember that guy?
Jarvis was with them last year too. After failing under Shanny, Nolan, and McD/wink … its clear he will never cut it as more than a back up. Sure not worth the 1st round pick. But who knows … maybe he is a late bloomer that will come back and bite us in the behind … wouldn’t be the first time thats for sure….TRB out…
Yeah, actually since none of the FAs signings can be official until Friday I’m not concerned on how slow things are moving there, however I am much more concerned that no official cuts of our players have been announced, just get it done, waiting won’t help, could it be that they want to know who they might be able to get in FA before they cut? Doesn’t seem like there is enough time to do that, clean house to get well under the cap first then you have moneys to attract FAs. Sometimes I just don’t understand how the NFL runs their business…
Rockski, look back at last blog at 9:14 A.M.
A few teams have already publicized their undrafted college free agent signings. We better get on board before all the DT’s are taken! Just sayin!
There could be many restructurings going on.
thx strand
well they did announce that Buck was gone (i liked bucky … just too old and injury prone). Im sure lanceball will be gone as well because he is an avg runner that cannot catch to save his life. Also most of McD guys can pretty much go. Thier meal ticket is gone. Which is why Daniel Graham is gone … and possibly Jabar Gafney as well (no knock on gaf, nice guy). TRB out…
We also signed Minnesota QB Weber. I forgot his first name, sorry.
eeerocksi, we have signed like 20 undrafted FAs … they will put them up soon. But we know most of them for the most part. TRB out..
I heard that Gaffney will be cut.
Adam Weber. QB Minnesotta. Eric Deckers college QB.
Ya, just saw the post strand referred me too….
this what I got so far:
Bro says:
July 26, 2011 at 9:14 am
strand, these are the undrafted rookies we have got so far.
Brandon Bing, CB, Rutgers
Marshall Williams, WR, Wake Forest
Mark Dell, WR, Michigan State
Patrick Hill, FB, Miami
Mario Fannin, RB, Auburn
James Rogers, CB, Michigan
Chris Harris, CB, Kansas
Colby Whitlock, DL, Texas Tech
Deron Mayo, DE, Old Dominion
Curt Porter, OT, Jacksonville State
On a side note, is it possible that J McDorkface was a roster assassin, since Denver was a thorn in the side of BB in NE for so many years(under Shanny)? Call me crazy, but he allowed too many bad moves to happen and filled our roster with ???