Finding the One UDFA

[zippo59]

Another reason Wright did not have a huge impact is because Wilfork was healthy the whole season. I think Wright was a pretty adequate back up.

 

[dryheat44]

Another reason Wright did not have a huge impact is because Wilfork was healthy the whole season. I think Wright was a pretty adequate back up.

Wright was probably out of position as well. I remember a recent BB interview where he said that Wright was really more suited to play DE. If a guy like LeKevin Smith makes the 53, than Marquise Hill might be headed to Saban, because Wright could take his job.

I think everybody who was on the Klecko bandwagon needs to get off and climb onto the Wright bandwagon. He could end up being what we thought Klecko could be: a quick player with position flexibility.

 

[Mike the Brit]

I think everybody who was on the Klecko bandwagon needs to get off and climb onto the Wright bandwagon.

I reserve the right to ride more than one bandwagon at once.

 

[mgteich]

Point well taken with regard to kickers and long snappers. Yes, they are often UDFA's.
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So you believe that other teams don't add one UDFA a year to their team, after being on the practice squad?

Please tell when 6 of our 25 starters are UDFA's. Your 25% makes no sense at all.

Andruzzi played for GB before playing for us.

We are talking about ROOKIE UDFA's making the ROSTER, and even more so the ACTIVE roster.

The practice squad makes no difference at all. Any team can sign a player from any other team's practice squad.

In building a club like Belichick & Pioli are doing, it is important to succeed in the little things and allow time to let the little things accumulate. If a single UDFA merely makes the PS every year and only one or two graduate to the active roster than the Patriots are that one or two players better than their opposition.

But in fact we have seen Vinatieri, Paxton, Neal, Ashworth, Andruzzi, Gay, and Wright make the active roster. Six starters out of 25 is about 25% of the starters. IOW, the Patriots are 25%stronger than they would have been if Belichcik and Pioli took your advice and did not waste thier "time".

The pats had 40 years of such common sense prior to Belichick's arrival. I'll take his approach, if you don't mind & even if you do, as I like the results of being 25% stronger...

 

[AzPatsFan]

Que'll probleme?

Please tell when 6 of our 25 starters are UDFA's. Your 25% makes no sense at all.

I named 6 starters out of 25 starters; 11 each on O & D, and the K, P, Ls.

The six starters were: Gay, Vinatieri, Paxton, Neal, Ashworth and Andruzzi. 6/25 is approximately 25%... Que'll probleme?


I agree that as you go down the draft rounds the chances of making a hit decrease untill in the seventh round its probably 1-2% per choice.

But you forget that the UDFA are helped by shear numbers. If you sign 15-20 UDFA, and each has a probability of 2%, then the probability of finding one player, given that you have 15-20 chances, is the sum of the probabbilities and is 30-40%.

That overall success probability approaches the surety of a day one pick. Now as to whether the overall athletic ability approaches a day one pick, I doubt it. Most are slower or smaller, but not all. Some are just inexperienced; for example Neal is the athletic superior of most day one Guards. Others missed lots of college experience due to injury. Gay was such an example. A pair of late draftees are other examples; Patrick Pass was a highly sought recruit from HS; he was just usually banged up and had little or no production to show for the draft. So was Matt Cassel; he just sat behind a Heisman trophy winner or two.

 

[DaBruinz]

Let's use your list.

Neal - took several years to develop
Gay - beat out a 7th rounder after there were several injuries at the position

It is my position that the following have contributed almost not at all. The fact that they sat at the end of the bench for part of a year doesn't mean much to me.

Mruc
Childress
Thomas
Alexander
Britt (different because he is a 5th rounder, not an UDFA)
Ventrone
Wright (I don't think he was active much)

Wright was active or played in 13 games last year. I know that he missed the play-offs because of injury. But Wright was pretty active. Alexander was good enough for Belichick to want to activate him in 2004 for the final 5 games of the season. Only problem was that Alexander got hurt and went onto the IR.

Also, who were these injuries that allowed Gay to make the team in 2004? I am really interested in this because I remember the injuries to Poole and Law happening AFTER Gay had made the team.

Neal, supposedly, had won the starting guard job by mid 2002. However, in his 1st start against Green Bay, he injured his shoulder and missed the rest of the season and then had another shoulder injury that cost him the 2003 season. I guess you could say he took a long time to develop, but it was more that he took so long because of injuries.

Also, how quickly we forget Tom Ashworth and Joe Andruzzi. Both of whom were undrafted free agents and both of whom took 2-3 years to make an impact.

The fact remains that its far more likely that a draft pick will make the team than a UDFA. However, one shouldn't ignore the UDFAs because they can make a difference.

 

[VJCPatriot]

I think the point people are trying to make here is that if you don't cast a net you won't catch any fish.

Sure I'll agree it's likely slim pickings amongst UDFAs that will make your team. But over the years the numbers of UDFAs you 'catch' that do contribute positively accumulate and in the long run that makes your team stronger.

Does BB and his staff look specifically for UDFA's? Yes, BB has specifically said that right after the draft he and his staff started making the phone calls to UDFAs looking for more players to add to the team and could possibly contribute to their system.

Does every 'fan' need to concern themselves over minutia like UDFA's no. But that is no reason for you to dismiss UDFAs as a source of potential players for the Pats. BB and his crew certainly don't.

So in summary, maybe this year's UDFA 'crop' will mostly likely net only a couple of players that make the team. But they can add to the balance and make a difference. If Vrabel goes down midseason, followed by Mincey, will you be glad that Roach was on your roster or PS? I think you would be. And that's all I have to say about that.

It's ok to not make a big deal about UDFAs but I think shortsighted to dismiss them as a source of players for your team.