Why He'll Make the Team #3: Lorne Sam

Hi folks. Back with another edition of Why He'll Make the Team. I am going to continue looking at undrafted free agent pickups because, well, they're the most fun! 

Today we're are going to take a gander at Lorne Sam, a Florida State and UTEP product. Sam, whose brother P.K. played on a Patriots championship team, was a highly touted high school player, and went to the Seminoles to be a QB. After being moved to receiver, and several injuries, Sam transferred to UTEP where he played QB, RB and WR. He earned his undergraduate degree in 2006, playing 2007 as a graduate student. At the combine he competed as WR and enters camp as longshot in a deep group of wideouts. Will he make the team? Read on and see what you think.

Tale of the Tape

via static.nfl.com

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 220

40 Yard Dash: 4.59

Bench Reps: 23

The Criticisms

Lorne Wallace Sam has had a long and painful road to the NFL. In 2002 he followed his brother to Florida State, where he red shirted after a shoulder separation in August scrimmage. He followed that up with two unspectactular seasons, accounting for 10 receptions, , 6 yards rushing and a special teams tackle. After the second season, he discovered he had played the whole year on a broken foot, missed the postseason and decided to transfer to UTEP.  After a year off, Sam played two seasons for UTEP, missing part of each one due to knee and foot injuries. His final season he compiled over 1000 yards of total offense, primarily running and receiving, despite missing the final two games.

With six year saga like that behind him, you can imagine that one major concern with drafting Sam was his injury history. He only played one complete season in college - the rest were all injury shortened.

This also meant he moved around a lot. His QB career was derailed when he couldn't stay on the field. He was injured as a slot receiver, ending up running the ball quite a bit. He has never focused on a single skillset, and his receiving skills are raw - his hands questionable if strong, his route running sloppy. To top it off, some question his deep speed and his propensity to fumble.

Scouts question his desire and work ethic, and cite his hesitance to extend his arms  and fight for balls in the air. His blocking is not physical enough. The concern is that he gets by on athleticism, rather than the disciplined technique and toughness necessary to succeed in the NFL.

The Response

Many of the concerns about Lorne Sam are in fact well founded, which is probably why he ended up signing as a free agent. There is nothing he can do about his injury history now besides get out there and play, frankly. However, in an interview with PatriotsInsider.com before the draft, Sam said he got a whole battery of tests at the combine, and they came up clean - including his troublesome left foot. He seems to be healed, although until he plays some NFL games the durability questions will remain.

Also true is the fact that Sam jumped all over the field in his college career, never really perfecting one position. He may not be ready for prime time as a starting receiver, but he has shown a willingness to play wherever needed. In his PatriotsInsider.com interview he says that he personally requested to play special teams everywhere he went, but as a QB most seasons, he wasn't allowed. He talks about being a gritty player, wanting to play like Hines Ward and getting it done however and wherever he can. If he can make himself useful as a gadget player, special teamer, and emergency quarterback he could buy himself the time to develop his receiving skills.

Finally, Lorne Sam follows his older brother P.K. to the NFL. His brother left school early and has bounced around. In contrast, Lorne is coming off a year of studying for a Master's in Educational Leadership (which I am guessing would be applicable to being a school principal or superintendent). He talks about how his brother's tough experience helped him understand that this is a job, and he needs to work nine to five, and then some, to succeed. That kind of attention to detail, and his brother's guidance, could help him put in the time to overcome his fumbling and motivation issues.

The NFL's  online  draft prospect analysis mentions that he seemed to figure out that he needed to fight for the extra yard his senior season, and that his blocking was adequate - when he put his all in. He has the fight in him, he just may need some coaching to help him express it on the field.

 The Prospects

Lorne Sam is a tantalizing prospect. With his skill in the short receiving game and  on the ground and the improved moves after the catch he flashed his senior season, Sam is a special talent. He has pretty good speed - near Marshall's combine number in the 40 and faster than top 10 finisher Eddie Royal in the 60 yard shuttle - and is quite strong - second only to Royal in the combine bench press. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry his two years at UTEP.

He is an upstanding guy - he tells a story about being shocked that a team at the combine asked him not just if he belonged to a gang or owned a gun, but whether he ever shot a man. He led student organizations, got a degree and kept his nose clean.  He would certainly not be a "problem child" on the squad.

If he can develop his aggressiveness and route running he could blossom into a "slash" type player along the lines of  Randle-El, an intriguing tool in Mike Shanahan's offense. Although he clearly doesn't fit as a QB in the NFL, he talks about viewing the game that way, and has a real mind for the game. He is highly intelligent, having skipped a grade in elementary school and having pursued graduate studies at UTEP. Such a guy is an asset on a team, whether as a returner, receiver runner or emergency quarterback.

He is still raw receiver and is not ready for primetime. In a less deep
wide receiving corps, he could have a slim chance of making a roster as a returner or special teamer. With the depth of the receiver position in Denver this year, including fellow rookie Eddie Royal, Sam probably at best shows enough in camp to warrant a spot on the practice squad. Realistically he will not beat out McDaniel, Russell Parker or Martinez for the last WR spot. His versatility will help his chances to hang around as a long term project though, as Shanahan cannot be too happy with running Mike Leach out there as his 3rd quarterback (as he did last year without Rod Smith available). With a bad camp, however, I think Sam hits the streets.