With the lockout over, teams are now free to begin signing undrafted free agents beginning on the evening of July 25th. The Steelers have consistently been one of the best teams in the league at finding talent among the players who don’t have their name called during the draft. Below is a player-by-player look at the 2011 UDFA class. (Photo of John Clay by Mark Hertzberg)
DT Anthony Gray, Southern Mississippi
Gray is a Philadelphia native who will likely play nose tackle in the NFL. He is massive, perhaps too big even, at 5’11”, 330 pounds. He has ran the 40-yard dash in 5.1 seconds so he does seem to move around well enough, but it remains to be seen if he will be quick enough to play at the NFL level.
TE Weslye Saunders, South Carolina
Saunders is a very gifted football player who has had some issues off the field that caused him to drop from a mid-round pick at worst to a UDFA. He received improper benefits and was suspended for the entire 2010 season at USC. Saunders was actually initially declared ineligible from the draft for a while before being reinstated. He has good size at 6’5″, 287 pounds and put up impressive receiving numbers for the Gamecocks. Saunders is a boom or bust type of sign.
DT Miguel Chavis, Clemson
At 6’4″, 281, Chavis would likely profile as a 3-4 end in the Steelers system.
Here’s video of him sacking ACC rival Russell Westbrook:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=
mYw-NBe6mBQ[/youtube]
Jump it for the rest of the list…
WR Terrence McCrae, Ohio University
McCrae is a big, record-breaking receiver from Ohio University who played his high school football at Connelsville. He is 6’3″, but was still clocked at 4.45 for the 40-yard dash. He played in a very run-heavy offense in college and has a shot to surprise a lot of people if given a chance in the NFL. His size/speed combo alone make him interesting.
Here’s a good highlight video of McCrae:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=
OXN_UCnz_Rk[/youtube]
C Colin Miller, Central Michigan
Miller is a lanky center who struggled with injuries during his college career. He was healthy during his senior season, though, and was twice named to the Rimington Trophy watch list. It will be interesting to see how he matches up against NFL lineman, which is obviously a big upgrade over the competition he saw at CMU.
RB John Clay, Wisconsin
Clay is the biggest name of the Steelers 2011 UDFA signings so far. Clay left Wisconsin a year early and was likely shocked to not hear his name called at all during April’s draft. The biggest question mark with Clay will be his speed and quickness. He ran a horrendous 4.83 40-yard dash at the NFL combine and NFL teams passed on him in the draft because they felt he is too slow to be a difference maker in the NFL. I’m looking forward to see how he performs in camp, though he has an uphill battle to make the roster.
WR Armand Robinson, Miami (Ohio)
Hailing from Big Ben’s alma mater can’t hurt. Robinson put up solid numbers and had several clutch TDs during his Redhawk career. He has good hands and is said to be a bright receiver, but hasn’t shown NFL-caliber speed and will have to show a lot of improvement to make a roster.
TE/FB Vaughn Charlton, Temple
Charlton is an interesting player. He was Temple’s starting QB during his junior season and moved to tight end during his senior year. The position switch shows what kind of team player Charlton is and he is a PA native too, which always gets points in my book. He’s a definite project, though, as he doesn’t have any great skills that stand out and is inexperienced.
WR Adam Mims, Furman
A quick, undersized receiver that played for a small football program at a school I have never heard of. He was a kick returner in college, and his small stature (5’8″, 195lb) projects him as a Stefan Logan or Darren Sproles type of player.
OT Trevis Turner, Abilene Christian
Turner is a monstrous human at 6’7″, 330 lbs. He was a stud OL at a D-II school, but D-II can only take you so far. No one saw first to spend a draft pick on him, but he could still develop into a serviceable lineman with his enormous frame. This is a preseason depth move for the Steelers, and Turner is likely going to spend the year on the practice squad before getting a shot to be a backup.
S Brett Greenwood, Iowa
Greenwood is coming off a rough shoulder injury, but prior to that setback he was one of Iowa’s on-field leaders on defense. He was the established veteran in the seconday, taking young guys in and watching game film with them, constantly challenging and competing with them, and the best part about him is that he has always been modest in the media. He’s a team-first guy whose work ethic and aptitude for film study could land him a spot on the Steelers’ roster
CB Niles Brinkley, Wisconsin
A raw prospect that can be beaten by mediocre receivers. He’s very durable though, only missing one game in 4 seasons. His technique is lacking in almost every facet of pass defense, but his willingness to try and support the run could help him land a spot as a special teams gunner for a few years. Don’t expect him to crack the defensive lineup any time soon though.
OLB Erik Clanton, Citadel
At 6’3″, 242lb, Clanton projects as a hybrid DE/LB. Unfortunately for him, the Steelers are stacked in that area right now and he’s going to have to be a heck of a playmaker on special teams to find a place on the roster this year.
LB Mario Harvey, Marshall
He’s smaller than Clanton (only 5’11”, 250lb) and that will be an obstacle for him, unless, again, he turns into a force on special teams. It’ll be a more difficult road for him to find a starting job at any point, because his size will likely limit him to ILB where the Steelers are well-set for the next few years.
WR Eric Greenwood, Idaho
Not L.C.’s kid, sadly. He is, however, a huge guy at 6’7″, 223lbs and if he can hone his technique just a little bit, he could be a situational (red zone) go-to guy for the Steelers, especially given how [literally] short they are at WR.
DE Ty Boyle, North Dakota
Boyle is an athletic defensive end who had a bit of a knack for blocking kicks (three in his collegiate career). He’ll need to add a few pounds to be an effective NFL player, but for a depth signing at DE he might do all right in a year or two.
OT Josh Harrison, South Carolina State
Harrison was a big, run-blocking guard at SC State and will join the Steelers as a tackle. But knowing how the Steelers play their O-line, he could be a backup at every position, much like Trai Essex, if he pans out as a serviceable player.
LS Derek Chard, Connecticut
He’s a long snapper. That’s about it. If something happens to Greg Warren (very possible), Chard will likely be the new guy.
Other signings of local interest:
Dom DeCicco to Chicago
Pat Devlin to Arizona
Noel Devine to Atlanta
Chris Colasanti to Indianapolis
