Redskins Undrafted Free Agent Signings Roundup

That's the way the cookie crumbles

Following days one and two of the 2009 NFL Draft and completing draft weekend activities the Redskins on Monday signed thirteen undrafted rookie free agents, with the draft now only seven rounds there is an annual league wide scrum to sign the best undrafted free agents after the draft is complete.

Because all teams have access to the same pool of talent at the same time, each front office must compile scouting reports that go beyond the top 250 or so players that will get drafted. As we learned in the ESPravda 980 interview with owner Redskins Dan Snyder, shadow general manager Vinny Cerrato and head coach Jim Zorn (interview links here op. cit.), the Redskins prepared their draft list of about 150 players, a typical number across the league. These are the players the team has evaluated and watches through draft weekend and thereafter.

As a player is picked his name comes off the list, there are no doubt several methods by which the list is sorted, best overall player, by position, by offense/defense/special teams, etc. Because each team does not scout all the same players many draft selections, particularly later in day two, say fifth round and lower, will not appear on a given team's draft list. And when the draft is finally over there will still be players on the list that were never drafted.

Often the decisions on which undrafted players to target reflect exposure to local teams and relationships in coaching and scouting. Football coaches and executives are no different from the rest of us in business, we tend to rely on our networks and work with whom we trust and with whom we believe understands our needs.

I imagine the night after draft day two and into the Monday morning after is a very busy time for team leadership, since each team now has unfettered access to the remaining prospective players, teams will rush to sign the guys they valued the highest. This often results in multiple bids for a given undrafted player, allowing that player some leeway in determining where he will get the chance to play.

Undrafted players will evaluate offers from the teams interested, almost always for rookie minimum with some smaller but varying signing bonus. The players then select where they want to sign, assuming they received more than one offer, based on a number of factors, perhaps chief among them for the smart players being the strength and or depth of the existing team roster at their position.

Other factors important to a player might be the money, the location by way of proximity to home or family, or the presumed quality of the team coaching and management and where a player might fit in a particular scheme.

There are still excellent players available after the draft ends, and the Redskins have found some themselves, see also receiver James Thrash 1997, fullback Mike Sellers 1998 and linebacker Antonio Pierce 2001.

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Let us review the rookie free agent players signed by the Redskins this week, in alphabetical order:

1. Robert Agnone, tight end, University of Delaware | bio page | draft profile
Height: six feet six inches
Weight: 256 pounds

2008 line: 14 catches for 147 yard and two touchdowns.

Curly R quick take: aka Robbie, he was a high school quarterback and receiver and transferred to the Blue Hens from the University of Pittsburgh after his freshman year. Over two years as a starter pulled in 55 catches for over 700 yards and nine touchdowns. Rated by NFL Draft Scout as the 27th best tight end out of this year's prospects. The Redskins question here is yet another tight end to go with Chris Cooley, Todd Yoder, Fred Davis and Eddie Williams. Another sign perhaps Chris Cooley is on the trading block?


2. Scott Burley, offensive tackle, University of Maryland | bio page | draft profile
Height: six feet five inches
Weight: 335 pounds

2008 line: honorable mention, 2008 All-ACC team, split time evenly between left and right tackle, blocked on a line enabling the first Terrapin tailback to gain 1000 yards in seven years.

Curly R quick take: college teammate of Edwin Williams, free agent rookie center also signed by Washington. Played left tackle and right tackle at Maryland, a team mostly known for one glorious ten win season eight years ago. Could be another Stephon Heyer, has the frame for the position, may be too raw and not athletic enough for NFL competition. Rated by NFL Draft Scout as the 58th best tackle out of this year's prospects. What the hell right at least it is some beef up front, I guess it is better to sift through the clearance bin than to go naked.


3. Chase Daniel, quarterback, University of Missouri | bio page | draft profile
Height: six feet even (or so they say)
Weight: 225 pounds

2008 line: 385 for 528, 4335 yards, 39 touchdowns and eighteen interceptions, was a team captain for a 10-4 team that averaged 42 points per game and was in the hunt for the Heisman for most of the last two seasons.

Curly R quick take: an excellent 8.2 yards per attempt average, can throw the ball, averaged 40 attempts per game in 2008 against Big 12 competition, has touch on the ball, can make plays with his legs as well. He may be too short for the NFL, arm strength and downfield accuracy are concerns. For my part Chase sounds like this year's Colt Brennan and we already have a Colt Brennan. Rated by NFL Draft Scout as the 23rd best quarterback out of this year's prospects. As ever the Redskins continue to send conflicting messages as they dick around with their legitimate starter but do not bring in a projected can't miss prospect as insurance. I say welcome and good luck to Chase, one thing Redskins fans love for sure is a competitor and that is Chase. NFL pre draft profile.


4. Antonio Dixon, defensive tackle, University of Miami | bio page | draft profile
Height: six feet three inches
Weight: 322 pounds

2008 line: 22 tackles, eight solo, in ten games last season, no sacks.

Curly R quick take: started only five games going into senior year, missed three games his senior year, tallying only fifteen total collegiate starts, rated by NFL Draft Scout as the 42nd best defensive tackle prospect this year. Looks like a depth guy, the Redskins actually have some depth now at defensive tackle with Anthony Montgomery, Kedric Golston, Albert Haynesworth, Cornelius Griffin and Lorenzo Alexander, why not bring another guy and see what happens.


5. Doug Dutch, cornerback, University of Michigan| bio page
Height: five feet eleven inches
Weight: 204 pounds

2008 line: played in all twelve games, appearing in the secondary in two.

Curly R quick take: looking like a special teamer at best, a body for camp, was not in the top 60 rated cornerback prospects this year by NFL Draft Scout. Also another position switcher, Doug came to Michigan in 2005 as a receiver and pulled in a whopping four catches over two seasons before becoming a cornerback before the 2007 season. Check the Michigan football bio page linked above, yes that is what it says, Doug appeared at cornerback in all of two games his senior year. Maybe the team knows something about Doug that we do not because it seems like he does not have a lot of experience at a position that he just learned.


6. Devin Frischknecht, tight end, Washington State | bio page | draft profile
Height: six feet three inches
Weight: 251 pounds

2008 line: appeared in ten of thirteen games, caught seventeen passes for 221 yards and one touchdown.

Curly R quick take: a junior college transfer, Devin has size and can hold onto the ball, decent blocker though not dominant. Rated by NFL Draft Scout as the 25th best tight end among this year's pro prospects. A bigger question of course would be what the hell is with all the tight ends? It seems a strange position to accumulate so much depth. Is the team up to something?


7. John Halman, receiver, Concordia College | bio page
Height: six feet two inches
Weight: 215 pounds

2008 line: 43 receptions for more than 1000 yards and twelve touchdowns.

Curly R quick take: a 2001 high school graduate, John attended Pensacola Junior College and played on the flag football team. In 2002 John enlisted in the Air Force but injured his knee, tearing an ACL, he was not able to enlist. After rehabbing his knee, John became a lifeguard in his home town of Pensacola and continued playing beach flag football. In 2006 John attended an open tryout for the Canadian Football League in Mobile Alabama where he was noticed by the coaching staff of tiny Concordia College in Selma Alabama, at 23 years old he became a freshman in the fall of 2006. Three seasons later at age 25 John put together a solid 2008 season and declared himself eligible for the NFL draft, John attended a Pro Day workout at Troy University in Troy Alabama, there were no Redskins scouts there but they heard about John and asked him back for a second tryout. When he was not drafted the team went hard to sign him. A great story, I hope he can make the cut, John was not among the 105 receiver prospects evaluated by NFL Draft Scout.


8. Brigham Harwell, defensive tackle, University of California at Los Angeles | bio page | draft profile
Height: six feet one inch
Weight: 280 pounds

2008 line: started all twelve games, netted 53 tackles, second team All-PAC-10.

Curly R quick take: tore his MCL in the second game of 2007, spent the whole season rehabbing before coming back in 2008 to win the starting spot. Explosive off the line, good lateral movement, used to the banging of playing in the interior line. Undersized for the position but with experience, best suited to the three technique, Brigham was rated the 44th best defensive tackle prospect by NFL Draft Scout.


9. Lendy Holmes, safety, Oklahoma | bio page | draft profile
Height: six feet even
Weight: 206 pounds

2008 line: appeared in all 14 games, making 89 tackles with five interceptions for 73 yards in returns and recovered three fumbles.

Curly R quick take: another position changer, Lendy came to Oklahoma as a receiver and switched to defensive back after his freshman year, Lendy played both cornerback and safety in college. Lendy is has good size for either position in the pro game, has good play awareness and takes good angles on the ball, has a nose for the ball. Lendy plays better with his face to the play meaning he sets up as a free safety or in zone cover situations. A relative steal as an undrafted rookie free agent, Lendy was rated the 14th best free safety prospect by NFL Draft Scout. I say bring it on, the Redskins could always use another instinctive player to develop.


10. Ronnie Palmer, linebacker, University of Arizona | bio page | draft profile
Height: six feet three inches
Weight: 245 pounds

2008 line: played in all thirteen games, totaling 85 tackles, one interception and 2.5 sacks

Curly R quick take: a three year starter, Ronnie has the size to be a difference maker at the middle linebacker position. He has a good downfield burst and can move sideline to sideline, a basic requirement got the Mike linebacker position. He has a hard time penetrating on the blitz and does not offer much in the way of pass coverage. Ronnie was not one of the 33 rated inside linebackers as rated by NFL Draft Scout. Linebacker is a position of need with the Redskins though not specifically at the middle position, if Ronnie can show promise there that will permit the veterans to move to the outside positions of greater need.


11. Derek Walker, defensive end, University of Illinois | bio page | draft profile
Height: six feet three inches
Weight: 269 pounds

2008 line: played in all twelve games, tallying 33 tackles with one interception and six sacks.

Curly R quick take: a four year starter for the Illini, Derek is a solid player in all aspects, he is hard working with attention to detail, a good first step and is a pusher, can take a double team and stay on his feet, not easily fooled by the play. Despite his size he is small for the run stuffer spot and not as agile as you would like at the pass rush, suddenly a relatively deep position for the Redskins, Derek was rated as the 19th best defensive end among this year's prospects by NFL Draft Scout. No reason not to bring in another prospect and see what he can do at either end position.


12. Edwin Williams, center, University of Maryland | bio page | draft profile
Height: six feet two inches
Weight: 308 pounds

2008 line: first team All-ACC center, academic All-ACC selection, only Maryland player to start all thirteen games, blocked on a line enabling the first Terrapin tailback to gain 1000 yards in seven years.

Curly R quick take: college teammate of Scott Burley, rookie free agent offensive tackle also signed by Washington. An underrated and fundamentally sound player, the Redskins are lucky Edwin fell into their lap, effective with quarterback under as well as with the shotgun, has good chemistry with line mates. Not as strong as his frame would indicate and struggles in the run game against larger defensive tackles. This was a good signing by Washington, Edwin was rated the seventh best center among t his year's prospects by NFL Draft Scout. Maryland is turning into the feeder program for high risk offensive line projects, with no established backup at center the past two years it makes sense to bring in a prospect, see how he does and then sort the numbers in camp.


13. Jaison Williams, receiver, University of Oregon | bio page | draft profile
Height: six feet four inches
Weight: 237 pounds

2008 line: played in all thirteen games, catching 36 passes for 473 yards and four touchdowns.

Curly R quick take: a three year starter, you have to like the 13.1 yards per catch average, what Washington needed on offense more than anything else besides better blocking, better linemen and more scoring from the tight end position was a big tall reliable possession threat to go along with tight end Chris Cooley. Was Oregon's third leading receiver in 2008 after leading the team in catches in both 2006 and 2007, leading to questions about whether we have already seen his upside. Gets good extension but has problems with drops, can catch in a crowd, height and vertical leap combine with hands to make Jaison an excellent target. He lacks competitive top speed and his game may be in decline, poor workout habits contribute to the perception. Jaison was rated the 47th best receiver prospect in this year's draft by NFL Draft Scout. Not exactly a Malcolm Kelly type, that is what Marko Mitchell was drafted to be, Jaison is more of the James Thrash position, a possession option to go along with Antwaan Randle El and take some pressure off Chris Cooley, or whomever is playing tight end for Washington in 2009.


Welcome all of you to the Washington Redskins, good luck and I look forward to marking your progress for Redskins fans world wide.



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