Will Butler's success help us land more priority UDFAs?

Butler performed well at his tryout to get into TC as an UDFA. Now what was in front of him?

1. Revis
2. Browner
3. Arrington
4. Ryan
5. Dennard
6. Green
7. Swanson

Without a doubt, the worst situation competition wise in the NFL to be in as an UDFA CB looking to make an NFL team.

BB still gave him the opportunity to stand out, starting him in preseason games as a test. Then, he gave him a roster spot instead of trying to sneak him on the PS.

Most of all, in crunchtime in the SB, BB gave Butler the nod over 3rd round Ryan and veteran Arrington.
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One of BB's most underrated qualities is giving UDFAs the same chance as drafted players. He let Allen beat out Mesko, cut 3 QBs ahead of Hoyer to make him an udfa backup to Brady, started KT week 1, etc.

In a league full of coaches that would prefer Joe McKnight to Woodhead despite on field performance, why wouldn't you sign here as an UDFA?

Priority UDFA is an oxymoron.

RayClay said:

Priority UDFA is an oxymoron.

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I can't agree -- the top undrafted players get offers from a ton of teams and get to pick their best opportunity. Landing your top UDFA targets is like extending the draft back to its old length.

But I don't think Malcolm Butler is going to change the equation. Agents know that the Pats have a strong track record with UDFAs, and they also know that the NE roster is stacked and that not every player is a fit.

patsinthesnow said:

Most of all, in crunchtime in the SB, BB gave Butler the nod over 3rd round Ryan and veteran Arrington.
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Not just Ryan and Arrington, he got the nod over McCourty for that play!

FibSeq13478 said:

Not just Ryan and Arrington, he got the nod over McCourty for that play!

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The play called for three corners, and McCourty is a safety.

patchick said:

I can't agree -- the top undrafted players get offers from a ton of teams and get to pick their best opportunity. Landing your top UDFA targets is like extending the draft back to its old length.

But I don't think Malcolm Butler is going to change the equation. Agents know that the Pats have a strong track record with UDFAs, and they also know that the NE roster is stacked and that not every player is a fit.

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(I have no idea if the Pats were even interested in Crowell)

Well said. Crowell was one of the top UDFAs. Imagine if he chose us instead? He probably would have started the second half of the season for us after Ridley went down and maybe have been better than Blount.

I think the Pats already have a good track record with keeping UDFA. I think it comes with the job security that BB has. He can easily cut a fifth round pick to keep a UDFA. Other GMs might have to worry about their job security when making such choices.

Not a single starter on offense on this team that just won the Super Bowl was a first round pick. Think about that, the Pats might be the only team in the league that can make that claim.

Blount and both guards were UFDAs

FreeTedWilliams said:

Not a single starter on offense on this team that just won the Super Bowl was a first round pick. Think about that, the Pats might be the only team in the league that can make that claim.

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Nate Solder says "hi."

RayClay said:

Priority UDFA is an oxymoron.

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A pick at the top of the 7th round can expect a signing bonus around $70K, dropping to $45K at the bottom of the round. Some priority UDFAs get guarantees in the 6 figures. The Patriots for example guaranteed $211K to Jeff Demps. Obviously didn't work out, but lots of teams have paid a lot to UDFAs, and sometimes more than draft picks get guaranteed.

patchick said:

I can't agree -- the top undrafted players get offers from a ton of teams and get to pick their best opportunity. Landing your top UDFA targets is like extending the draft back to its old length.

But I don't think Malcolm Butler is going to change the equation. Agents know that the Pats have a strong track record with UDFAs, and they also know that the NE roster is stacked and that not every player is a fit.

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I can't see anyone that was overlooked 200-250 times being anyone's priority. I also don't see that any of them can afford to be too picky if an NFL team shows interest.

Was Butler a priority? The Patriots have had 12 7th round picks in the last 6 years. If getting that player was a priority, they could have got him every year, most with picks left over.

Does it help them when there's competition for a pick? Maybe. I still think the player would go anywhere he had a chance to hang on. Does this case make the loaded patriots more attractive than a team with holes? I guess, incrementally.

I believe they were afraid Givens might sign elsewhere if undrafted, so they drafted him. That made him low priority, a step above no priority.

ctpatsfan77 said:

The play called for three corners, and McCourty is a safety.

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McCourty is a safety not because he can't play corner but because the team needs him at safety. He is still a first round draft pick cornerback and if the pats coaches thought he was better than Butler for that situation, they would have put him in both in practice reps and game situation.

convertedpatsfan said:

A pick at the top of the 7th round can expect a signing bonus around $70K, dropping to $45K at the bottom of the round. Some priority UDFAs get guarantees in the 6 figures. The Patriots for example guaranteed $211K to Jeff Demps. Obviously didn't work out, but lots of teams have paid a lot to UDFAs, and sometimes more than draft picks get guaranteed.

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So, if it was a priority to get that player, they draft him. Seems to make the opposite of the case.

Jeff Demps did not participate in the draft. I thought we were talking about players eligible to be drafted, who wanted to be, but weren't.

RayClay said:

I can't see anyone that was overlooked 200-250 times being anyone's priority.

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From an article on representing UDFAs:

Many people do not understand the frenzy that undrafted free agency is towards the end and after the draft, and how it is a process that is largely over within hours after the draft is over. Teams will begin to call agents and players of undrafted-players-to-be late in the draft trying to let them know of their interest in the player. They cannot come to terms however until the draft is completed, or they may face possible tampering charge under the CBA. They will likely say how interested they are, but they just cannot draft the player or how they are going to draft them with one of their last picks, and then claim something happened. Some teams even send out letters from GMs to players such as this, as a way to build this rapport and loyalty should it come down to said team and another.

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ctpatsfan77 said:

The play called for three corners, and McCourty is a safety.

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McCourty lines up as a corner at times.

But that's in particular formations, so he probably never practiced to defend this particular play and play call.

Patriots have a tradition of taking UDFAs and launching them on successful NFL careers. Law Firm, Brandon Bolden, there's usually one UDFA rookie making the roster every year. It's an open secret that the Patriots give players the opportunity and reward them for what they do with it. Another Lombardi does more to add to that than anything else I think, although having the Super Bowl win sealed by a UDFA rookie making the biggest play on the biggest stage certainly ices the cake.

RayClay said:

So, if it was a priority to get that player, they draft him. Seems to make the opposite of the case.

Jeff Demps did not participate in the draft. I thought we were talking about players eligible to be drafted, who wanted to be, but weren't.

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I wouldn't say it's common, but there are other instances of players getting substantial guarantees similar or above drafted players. Ronald Leary is an example of a guy the Cowboys were considering drafting, waited, and they're guaranteeing him money as if he were a 5th-round pick.

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2012...ld-leary-getting-paid-like-a-fifth-round-pick

They also guaranteed $70K for Brandon Magee.

More recently for the Pats, T.J. Moe received a large guarantee for an UDFA, $30K, which is a bit below a 7th-rounder but higher than the average UDFA.

So there can be quite a competition for UDFAs. Teams get only 7 draft picks a year, but every team would gladly take more if possible. Many of the UDFAs were projected to be drafted, but due to scheme, needs, other players being available, they sometimes slip out of the draft entirely.

RayClay said:

I believe they were afraid Givens might sign elsewhere if undrafted, so they drafted him.

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Ditto with Matt Cassel (Titans) and Julian Edelman (Packers).

convertedpatsfan said:

I wouldn't say it's common, but there are other instances of players getting substantial guarantees similar or above drafted players. Ronald Leary is an example of a guy the Cowboys were considering drafting, waited, and they're guaranteeing him money as if he were a 5th-round pick.

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2012...ld-leary-getting-paid-like-a-fifth-round-pick

They also guaranteed $70K for Brandon Magee.

More recently for the Pats, T.J. Moe received a large guarantee for an UDFA, $30K, which is a bit below a 7th-rounder but higher than the average UDFA.

So there can be quite a competition for UDFAs. Teams get only 7 draft picks a year, but every team would gladly take more if possible. Many of the UDFAs were projected to be drafted, but due to scheme, needs, other players being available, they sometimes slip out of the draft entirely.

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Please list all the UDFA's that the patriots have brought it at a higher bonus than a 7th rounder. Moe is a good example for discussion. We paid him almost as much as a 7th rounder, because their was competition for his services.

I agree with patchick that their is competition for these players. All teams have a list of players still on their boards. The calls begin immediately after draft. I suppose some players are even called during the 7th round and told that a team has interest.

What we are fussing about is calling any these players "high priority". They are indeed high priority in the sense that they are of high priority as the draft ends. If a player was of high priority before that, he would have been drafted, especially by the patriots who always seem to have at least 3 picks in the last two rounds.

The signing of UDFA's is the fourth day of the draft. Of course, UDFA's are also signed well after the draft, of those players not in the draft or player cut by other teams. The patriots do pretty well in this pool of players, as they are in all the others. We usually secure 2-3 players that end up on the 53 sometime during the year and contribute.

Most, if not all teams have UDFAs make the 53-man rosters. Seahawks created a PowerPoint Presentation touting the success of their UDFAs.

http://static.nfl.com/static/content/photo/2014/05/06/0ap2000000347146.pdf