2008 NFL Draft -- Denver Signs 7 Undrafted Free Agents

A quick introduction to some of the newest Broncos!

1. Anthony Alridge (WR - Houston)  RB/WR  Don't tell Anthony that he is a dreaded 'tweener.  Reportedly responded to not being drafted by swearing vengeance on every team in the league, except for the Broncos of course, who nabbed him right up.  Alridge is an electrifying player, a north south one-cut runner with a massive chip on his shoulder and experience at multiple positions.  Should compete at KR/PR, but needs to bulk up a little to really push either of our current "change-up" specialists
2. K Garrett Hartley (Oklahoma)   Denver is taking a flyer that Hartley will show the consistency and range he had his first three years, before inexplicably losing both his accuracy and some of his power.  Hits into the endzone at about a 33% rate, and is(was)  exceptionally accurate inside of 50 yds.  Has enough power to hit longer ones and has gotten better about getting lift into his kicks, but has some fundamental parts of his game that he needs to keep fine tuning.
3. T Mitch Erickson (South Dakota State)  Quick footed player with marginal speed and hands, but good lower body strength.  Had 66 knockdowns and graded above 80% on his blocking for three of four years.  Has the strength to develop at RT or could be moved inside to guard with time.
4. T Tyler Polumbus (Colorado)  A ton of potential here, Polumbus needs to (and can) add some weight, but could be a long term project to develop for RT or LT depth.  Hawkins gave this late bloomer a chance to start as a junior and was rewarded with 54 knockdowns the first year and 68 knockdowns the second, as well as seeing 8 of those blocks lead to TDs and only 1 sack getting by him.  Not a natural player, he needs to show more spark and fire, and reduce the thinking workload.  Fundamentally unsound (can't keep his pads down, doesn't protect his legs) and needs to prove his commitment.  In short, nothing a few years in Shanny's patented incubation tubes can't fix...
5. P Brett Kern (Toledo)  An overall project punter that could end up on the practice squad.  Has amazing instincts, and grasps some of the more difficult nuances, being a good directional and placement punter.  Has good leg and could develop even more leg strength, in the meantime he has limited hangtime and a well below average kicking speed.  He can be rattled under pressure and had a lot of Ernsterish miskicks at critical moments. 
6. WR  Lorne Sam (Texas-El Paso)  A Matt Jones clone, Lorne is a young man with QB experience and WR potential.  Lorne however is a much better runner and has a ton of raw talent, if he could just get settled at a position.  Expect him to be an automatic addition to the practice squad where he can learn a thing or two about how to run those route thingamajigs.
7. OLB Wesley Woodyard (Kentucky)  Denver is competing for his services right now, but if they nab him they will be getting a 'tweener type of SAF/WLB with a ton of heart and unwavering tenacity.  All things considered it would be a steal to get this guy, essentially, for free, even if he isn't anyone's first choice at the position. [Woodyard is officially in the fold.]