Patriots 2017 UDFA Frenzy

Section15Box113

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As of this morning, the Patriots had 65 players on the roster. With the O'Shaughnessey deal and four picks in the draft, BB has 20 roster spots to fill. While some will likely go to vets, many will not.

You know it may still be the 6th Rd, but BB & Co are already working the phones.

This is your home for all Patriot rumors and signings.

Let the UDFA frenzy begin.
 
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E5 Yaz

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Here’s who the Patriots are rumored to have signed.
DT Josh Augusta, Missouri (Kansas City Star)
LB Harvey Langi, BYU (Providence Journal)
S Jason Thompson, Utah (The Salt Lake Tribune)
G Jason King, Purdue (player)
TE Jacob Hollister, Wyoming (Casper Star-Tribune)
CB Kenny Moore, Valdosta State (Boston Herald)
DT Corey Vereen, Tennessee (agency)

http://nesn.com/2017/04/patriots-undrafted-free-agent-rumors-harvey-langi-among-signees/
 

H78

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H78

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Stupid question - is it likely that a lot of these guys were on the Patriots' draft board? Or is this a secondary level of scouting where you know most of them will be UDFA?
 

swiftaw

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I heard Patriots signed Jordan Westerkamp WR Nebraska. Wish I had put money on this, he's such a Pats type player
 

Section15Box113

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Austin Carr, WR, Northwestern
Reiss with a little more flavor on what's coming our way from Evanston (for those who might not have followed the Wildcats this year), via Twitter:

"Add Big10 WR of the Year Austin Carr (Northwestern) to the list of Patriots undrafted free-agent signings."
 

pjr

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I heard Patriots signed Jordan Westerkamp WR Nebraska. Wish I had put money on this, he's such a Pats type player
Maybe not,
Mark Daniels‏Verified account @MarkDanielsPJ 13m13 minutes ago




I've been told that Nebraska WR Jordan Westerkamp has NOT signed as an UDFA with the Patriots. Saw that on here, but it's not true
 

ZMart100

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Probably malpractice by Rich's agent considering the Patriots drafted two Ts. Still, I'm glad to have a second player from my draft contest list join the team.
 

PedroKsBambino

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Reiss with a little more flavor on what's coming our way from Evanston (for those who might not have followed the Wildcats this year), via Twitter:

"Add Big10 WR of the Year Austin Carr (Northwestern) to the list of Patriots undrafted free-agent signings."
He ran a 6.72 3 cone at NW pro day, which would have been top-5 at the combine. Presumably some measurement questions given that he ran elsewhere, but it does fit a profile...

http://www.patspulpit.com/2017/3/17/14932632/northwestern-pro-day-2017-can-wr-austin-carr-be-the-patriots-next-late-round-slot-machine-amendola
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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amfox1

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S David Jones, Richmond
S Damarius Travis, Minnesota
RB LeShun Daniels, Jr, Iowa
CB DJ Killings, Central Florida

(note: that's 16 listed in this thread, excluding Westerkamp)
 
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ZMart100

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CB D.J. Killings from UCF added. He had a good workout and good film. I've liked the fit for the Patriots since I saw this quote from Seattle draftee Shaquille Griffin.
“D.J. is a genius in the room,” Griffin said. “To me, that’s who led our room. That’s the person I went to. When I didn’t know something I’m going to D.J. first. And that’s what he brings to a team. Nobody knows just how smart he is and D.J. is going to work. He doesn't like getting beat and that’s the reason why I stuck with him since our freshman year.
 

dbn

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There was a time where I read these threads each year because I love the Patriots and want to follow them as much as I am able, but c'mon, it's just the UDFAs thread; none of these guys will ever likely make a difference...
 

amfox1

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There was a time where I read these threads each year because I love the Patriots and want to follow them as much as I am able, but c'mon, it's just the UDFAs thread; none of these guys will ever likely make a difference...
Malcolm Butler says hi.
 
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I predict DJ Killings will make the final roster. Not because he's a genius in the room or because he had a good workout, although those things will most certainly help. No, he will make the final cut because, I mean, come on, the guy's name is DJ KILLINGS.
 

E5 Yaz

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There was a time where I read these threads each year because I love the Patriots and want to follow them as much as I am able, but c'mon, it's just the UDFAs thread; none of these guys will ever likely make a difference...
Adam Vinatieri sends his love.
 

E5 Yaz

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SoSH 101 ... When someone makes a post such as this ...
There was a time where I read these threads each year because I love the Patriots and want to follow them as much as I am able, but c'mon, it's just the UDFAs thread; none of these guys will ever likely make a difference...
... they're purposely chumming the water for responses such as this
Malcolm Butler says hi.
Adam Vinatieri sends his love.
 

RoDaddy

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Langi is definitely intriguing as an UDFA. There's one rumor that BB would've drafted him in the first round last year, and the Pats have previously shown interest in him:

http://www.patspulpit.com/2017/3/28/15077836/2017-nfl-draft-prospect-profile-byu-edge-harvey-langi-might-be-a-better-fit-at-linebacker

I also read that mocks had him going in the 4th round so I'm not sure how/why he went undrafted. Sounds like he's an athletic big guy (6'2'', 250) who played out of position last season and had a down year, and also has some developing to do. And he projects at a position (ILB) where we can use help
 

mwonow

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Is there a reliable source for UDFA signings that I can use to finish the scoring for the draft contest?

FWIW, several of the folks mentioned here were picked in the contest - Augusta, Langi, Rich, Travis, Killings...are any/all of these confirmed?
 

ZMart100

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Is there a reliable source for UDFA signings that I can use to finish the scoring for the draft contest?

FWIW, several of the folks mentioned here were picked in the contest - Augusta, Langi, Rich, Travis, Killings...are any/all of these confirmed?
The NESN link in the 2nd post here gives their sources. As of yet, I haven't seen the Patriots release a press statement. Of course I like the NESN link because as far as I can tell, I am winning with 32 points.
 

mwonow

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I can see why you like that list!

I'm holding out for one that includes Ironhead and Steelhammer...
 

InstaFace

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I predict DJ Killings will make the final roster. Not because he's a genius in the room or because he had a good workout, although those things will most certainly help. No, he will make the final cut because, I mean, come on, the guy's name is DJ KILLINGS.
Laddie has already ordered his jersey.

Some of these player tweets are ... different

"Brady & The Bunch #GodHasAPlan"
He's referring to Belichick, obviously.
 
Apr 7, 2006
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As a Husker fan, I'd love to see him in a Pats uni. Seemed to have amazing hands and sideline awareness. Was stuck catching passes from Tommy Armstrong.

For those of you who haven't seen it, the behind the back catch is out of this world:

Anyone know where he wound up? There was the rumor that NE got him, but now not so much. Wherever he lands, I'll say this...he had me at the behind-the-back catch...until the mustache. Oh, the mustache.
 

pappymojo

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http://www.insidenu.com/2017/4/24/15402902/austin-carr-nfl-draft-scouting-report-pat-fitzgerald-northwestern-football-clayton-thorson-patriots

Lots of video clips on Austin Carr.

Strengths:
  • Carr has excellent ball skills, and a big part of that is his strong hands. He has a knack for snatching the ball out of the air in traffic, even when he knows a big hit is coming. Very few catchable passes thrown Carr’s way end up on the ground. Part of his catching ability comes from the way he’s able to contort his body, whether its to tap his feet on the sidelines or dive for a low throw.
  • Another area Carr excels is finding the gaps in a defense. Since he plays in the slot and mostly operates in the middle of the field, he does a lot of damage in the intermediate passing game.
  • Coaches and GMs in the NFL love to talk about intangibles, and Carr is off the charts in that respect. His tireless work ethic is evident in the way he worked his way up from a walk-on to a No. 1 receiver, and Pat Fitzgerald often spoke about how hard Carr practiced at the end of the season, a time when players are often slowed due to the fatigue of the grind that is the Big Ten football season.
Weaknesses:
  • While Carr was incredibly productive in college, NFL evaluators will worry about his ability to get separation at the next level. Because he played in the slot, Carr didn’t typically match up with the other team’s best corners. In the Ohio State game this past October, for example, neither of the Buckeyes’ potential first-round cornerbacks — Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley — covered Carr. He will need to prove he can get past top defensive backs in any NFL camp he attends.
  • There weren’t a whole lot of glaring flaws to Carr’s 2016 tape, but one was his big play production. Though he was a Biletnikoff finalist and Pro Football Focus deemed him to be the nation’s top receiver, he only had one catch go for over 40 yards all season. He wasn’t much of a vertical threat in college, so he probably won’t be in the pros either. His 40-yard dash time, which, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs, is between 4.61 and 4.63 seconds, isn’t ideal for a smaller receiver in the NFL and may give teams pause in the later rounds.
  • Because of his lack of elite explosiveness and burst, Carr could struggle against press coverage against NFL-level corners. He wasn’t tested a whole lot against tight coverage at the line of scrimmage in his time at Northwestern, so it’s hard to say how it will affect him in the future. It would make sense, though, that chucking him early in his routes could throw off his ability to get into the sweet spot in the middle of the field he so regularly found himself in this past season.
 

E5 Yaz

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Mike Reiss ESPN Staff Writer
Central Florida cornerback D.J. Killings was a priority undrafted free-agent signing for the Patriots, which is reflected in his contract which calls for an $11,000 signing bonus and $20,000 of his base salary guaranteed. When an undrafted player receives $31,000 in guarantees, it most often is a result of increased competition from other teams to sign him.

With Killings as a springboard, here is a list of undrafted players coming to New England as either signings of tryout players: Josh Augusta, DT, Missouri; Adam Butler, DT, Vanderbilt; Austin Carr, WR, Northwestern; Cole Croston, OT, Iowa; LeShun Daniels Jr., RB, Iowa; DJ Dean, DB, Arkansas; Cody Holliston, WR, Arkansas; Jacob Hollister, TE, Wyoming; David Jones, S, Richmond; D.J. Killings, CB, Central Florida; Jason King, G,. Purdue; Harvey Langi, LB, BYU; Kenny Moore, S, Valdosta State; Max Rich, OT, Harvard; Dwayne Thomas, DB, LSU; Jason Thompson, S, Utah; Damarius Travis, S, Minnesota; Corey Vereen, DE, Tennessee.
 

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In my crazy football world, that Patriots only list one of these two on the active roster every Sunday. After each series they play, they have to have a minor injury "treated" in the locker room, and the other one comes out, fresh and rested. Every, series.

This would also happen when playing The Ravens, while watching John Harbaugh turn ultra-violet with rage.
 

E5 Yaz

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Wyoming TE Jacob Hollister was a highly sought-after undrafted free-agent by the Patriots. He received a $10,000 signing bonus and $80,000 of his base salary is guaranteed. That exceeds some seventh-round draft choices, and reflects some competition from other teams to sign him.
 

Byrdbrain

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Not specifically about the Patriots but PFT had an article about the UDFA process and rampant flouting of the rules in the current setup.
It was suggested that instead of being able to sign immediately after the draft there be a 48 or 72 hours hold on signings. The current system has phone calls happening while the draft is ongoing(against the rules) and much pressure is put on players and agents to sign right away.
Seems like and easy and reasonable thing to do and for that reason it will almost certainly not happen.
 

E5 Yaz

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The Patriots, who made just four draft picks, have been aggressive in the undrafted free-agent market by guaranteeing significant money for prospects they might have otherwise drafted. One example of this is Brigham Young linebacker Harvey Langi, who received $100,000 of his base salary guaranteed, in addition to a $15,000 signing bonus. That type of guarantee is more than a seventh-round draft choice receives.
 

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Per Reiss, the Patriots have invited a "trick kicker" to their mini Camp. Josh Gable played HS football in Nebraska before heading to Europe to play Div 1 Soccer. Reiss includes some pretty incredible videos including Gable kicking at and hitting light poles that line the field, hitting the uprights from the side edge of the end zone, and Gable has posted some more videos on Vimeo, links below.
Reiss : http://www.espn.com/blog/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4802980/patriots-taking-a-look-at-trick-shot-kicker-with-unusual-story
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user26125884