Official Patriots UDFA thread

[manxman2601]

Wow! You should all read this about UDFA Kenbrell Thompkins.

Everything To Prove: The Kenbrell Thompkins Story - The News Record: Sports

“I never really saw my mom that much, so everything I learned was from running the streets and adapting to what was going on around me,” Thompkins said. “Growing up in Miami, Fla. — in the area I grew up in — it was nothing but violence. Violence and drugs. I woke up to it and I went to sleep to it, so I thought that was the right thing to do and I ended up getting adapted to it. It became second nature to me.”

The overall lack of guidance nearly cost Thompkins his life at age 7, when he accidentally shot himself in the arm while playing with a handgun. If the gun discharged at a slightly higher angle, he’d likely have suffered a fatal wound to the chest.

By his teens, Thompkins was consumed by a lifestyle forged from a lack of guidance and the violence he was born into.

“Middle school was when I started hanging with the wrong crowd and doing things that I shouldn’t be doing, as far as selling drugs, smoking marijuana, stealing and picking fights — thinking it was the right thing to do at the time.”

By his 19th birthday, Thompkins was arrested seven times, three of which were drug related. But through all the tumultuous hardships, drugs and arrests, he somehow managed to keep football in his life.

Not all bad though:

Kenbrell Thompkins Draft Profile

Bottom Line
A junior college transfer originally headed to Tennessee before Lane Kiffin left for USC, Thompkins showed promise as a junior for the Bearcats (44 receptions, 536 yards, two TD) after sitting out a redshirt season. Since he’s not elite in his speed or size, Thompkins won’t be a top prospect – but it won’t be surprising if he shines as an intermediate threat who could become a solid number two or three receiver at the next level.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Kenbrell Thompkins has decent size (6'1") and speed (4.46 40, pro day?)

more of an outside guy, with Moe more of a slot WR

Kenbrell Thompkins, WR, Cincinnati, NFL Draft - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

Kenbrell Thompkins Draft Profile

 

[DaBruinz]

I really liked T.J. Moe from what I saw at the Combine. He was so fluid in the receiving drills and caught everything.

 

[manxman2601]

Kenbrell Thompkins has decent size (6'1") and speed (4.46 40, pro day?)

more of an outside guy, with Moe more of a slot WR

Kenbrell Thompkins, WR, Cincinnati, NFL Draft - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

Kenbrell Thompkins Draft Profile

I really liked T.J. Moe from what I saw at the Combine. He was so fluid in the receiving drills and caught everything.

Some really nice competition for the 4/5 WR slots.

 

[manxman2601]

We ran the New England Patriot offense," Stankiewitch said recently. "We watched quite a bit of Patriots film. If we were installing a new play, we’d turn on the New England Patriots film [and] we’d watch how they were running the play against any team in the NFL.

"Of course, we had video recordings of Tom Brady’s cadence before we started doing that. I remember in the weight room, it was me and the quarterbacks and centers, and we had the playbook out trying to figure out how to do the cadences.”

Rookie center Stankiewitch agrees - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

 

[TruthSeeker]

I really liked T.J. Moe from what I saw at the Combine. He was so fluid in the receiving drills and caught everything.

Agreed ! I really like TJ Moe, yet another shifty slot receiver with good moves and hands, also a kickoff returner. Former HS QB. He seems to run really fast, but his 40 time was slow, good 3 cone time showing off his shiftyness.

Also, Moe is a classy guy, there's a video out there of him and his Mizzou QB taking a girl with MS to her prom, very heartwarming. How could you not root for a guy like that.

I really like Zach Sudfeld, huge redzone target with good speed for a 6'7" TE.

Rooting for both of those guys to make it, but they are long shots.

 

[Ozymandias]

Some really nice competition for the 4/5 WR slots.

Agreed. It's good too see this influx of youth in the WR corps for camp competition instead of the usual veteran retreads of past years of yonder.

 

[Ozymandias]

I really liked T.J. Moe from what I saw at the Combine. He was so fluid in the receiving drills and caught everything.

Had Moe run in the 4.4-4.5 range he probably would've been drafted in the round 4-7 range if not higher.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if he ultimately makes the opening day roster. Great UDFA signing by the Patriots.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Kembrell's story....wow. Definitely my UDFA binky. Everybody go read it.

 

[manxman2601]

Stankiewitch, Thompkins, Moe and Elvis Fisher look to have the best chance of making the roster.

 

[Avenger]

49ers also got mammoth OT Luke Larquardt. Bills got Wr Da'Rick Rogers. Bears got WR Mark Harrison (Rutgers) Why didn't we get him or WR Tim Wright (also Rutgers). Lions took Joseph Fauria. Colts took Dax Swanson. Donkeys grabbed Lerentee McCray.

Harrison has terrible hands according to reports here at Rutgers

 

[mgteich]

I think that these players are competing for Practice Squad spots. Belichick is not going to start the season with THREE rookie receivers. We already have TWO in Dobson and Boyce. We will carry Amendola, Edelman and maybe one more with some experience (we have Jones, Jenkins and Ebert). So, I don't think the UDFA wideouts are going to make the 53.

Some really nice competition for the 4/5 WR slots.

 

[BelichickFan]

Add:

Ryan Allen, P/K, Louisiana Tech

He's a Punter only. Don't sleep on him, he's good; Zoltan has only a year left they may have talked extension with him and not agreed.

 

[EwanSellars]

cody grissom will be solid as well nice DT depth

 

[patsinthesnow]

He's a Punter only. Don't sleep on him, he's good; Zoltan has only a year left they may have talked extension with him and not agreed.

Woh...this punter's legit.

2012 Ray Guy Award
2011 Ray Guy Award
2012 Unanimous First Team All-America (AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN, WCFF)
2011 First Team All–America (TSN, Phil Steele)
2011 Second Team All–America (AP, SI, WCFF)
2011 First Team All–WAC
2011 First Team All–Louisiana

 

[BradyFTW!]

I hate the 49ers.....

49ers signed DT Lawrence Okoye.
Okoye (6-foot-5 3/8, 304) hails from England and has never played organized football, but he put on a freak athletic show at the April 6 Regional Combine in Dallas. He ran forty times of 4.78 and 4.88 with a 10-foot-5 broad jump and 35-inch vertical, which is crazy for a 304-pound lineman. "He was unbelievably active and incredibly explosive in drills," observed NFL.com's Gil Brandt. Okoye is obviously a project.

He has practice squad written all over him, so every team in the league will have a chance for him if they have a change of heart.

 

[BradyFTW!]

He's a Punter only. Don't sleep on him, he's good; Zoltan has only a year left they may have talked extension with him and not agreed.

Interesting, thanks for the background info. I figure that punters are interchangeable enough that you don't have to worry too much about replacing one until he's officially out the door, but I don't think anyone here would be surprised if Belichick's decided to take the long view.

 

[mgteich]

Sounds like Mesko insurance to me.[

QUOTE=patsinthesnow;3441718]Woh...this punter's legit.

2012 Ray Guy Award
2011 Ray Guy Award
2012 Unanimous First Team All-America (AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN, WCFF)
2011 First Team All–America (TSN, Phil Steele)
2011 Second Team All–America (AP, SI, WCFF)
2011 First Team All–WAC
2011 First Team All–Louisiana[/QUOTE]

 

[Nitro]

I figure that punters are interchangeable enough that you don't have to worry too much about replacing one

uh no.. Ken walter happens when you take that approach

 

[BelichickFan]

Woh...this punter's legit.

2012 Ray Guy Award
2011 Ray Guy Award
2012 Unanimous First Team All-America (AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN, WCFF)
2011 First Team All–America (TSN, Phil Steele)
2011 Second Team All–America (AP, SI, WCFF)
2011 First Team All–WAC
2011 First Team All–Louisiana

46.1 average two years ago, 48.0 last year. And he's a lefty which Bill seems to like in his punters. Both Allen and Zoltan have In20/TB ratios better than 5/1 which is very good for both.