Potential Undrafted Free Agents to Look at

by Broncoman on May 2, 2011 12:35 PM MDT

With the lockout back on, the biggest let down after the draft to me was that teams aren't allowed to sign undrafted free agents. Granted, these guys don't necessarily make that much of an impact, but obviously names like Rod Smith come to mind when we talk about undrafted free agents. So here's a quick breakdown of some of the guys the Broncos brass may be targeting once the lockout is lifted in some form.

Alexander Linnekohl - C - OSU, 6' 1" 304 lbs - Is a durable pivot, starting the past three seasons, smart and tough, he is somewhat limited athletically due to his short nature, but could make a decent back-up center and would serve as some good competition to Walton in camp.

Kendrick Burney - CB - UNC, 5' 9", 186 lbs - A three year starter with good ball skills, Burney remind me somewhat of a guy from Wake Forest that we drafted a couple of years ago and now plays for the Lions. Burney is not that fast but is a very good technician and has good feet, tough, he likely would be a nickle or dime CB and ST player for the Broncos.

Ladi Aijboye - DE/DT - South Carolina, 6' 1" 297 lbs - A very durable starter, Ladi started the second most games of any gamecock. Athletically nothing impresses as his 40 yard time was very pedestrian at 5.24 and his bench reps were also pedestrian at 24; howver, he is another guy who just can play and has proven it over the years. Likely a PS player, he plays with great determination and heart.

Brandon Bair - DE/DT - Oregon, 6'6" 276 lbs - Bair surprised me he didn't get drafted, this kid has been very productive in college ranking 5th in the nation for tackles for loss and is a good athlete. Maybe caught between being too small to be a DT and a little too slow to be a DE. I think he will be a DT in the pros and could become a very effective wave DT in the Broncos system. He rates high on my radar as a kid we should try to sign.

Ian Williams - NT/DT - Notre Dame, 6' 1" 296lbs - Again, not a guy that wows in shorts, he has proven to be an effective starter for Notre Dame the past two seasons. Playing NT in a 3-4, he would need to probably play the three technique in the Broncos defense, as he doesn't have the bulk to play the other tackle position.

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Broncoman Here is two more to add to the list

Martin Parker DT 6’2" 303 lbs. 4.95 forty out of Richmond This next guy i have watched for three years ,If he had not tore his achilles tendon in the florida state game and missed the rest of the 2010 season ,I think he would have been drafted in the first three rounds this year . Adrian Taylor DT 6’3" 311 lbs. of Oklahoma Taylor is worth a shot even if you had to wait on him for a year on the practice squad .

by ultraclassic04 on May 2, 2011 12:57 PM MDT reply actions

Parker was recovered enough to play in the Senior and impressed some people.

Just not enough to get drafted having played at the FCS level and recovering from an injury

by DE_BroncoFan on May 2, 2011 1:14 PM MDT up reply actions

Add in Cedric Thorton, DT, Southern Arkansas---6-4 299 5.31

Last 2 years at Southern Arkansas: 18G/18GS; 132 Tkls, 36.5 Tfl; 10.0 Sacks; 3 FF.

by Bron#1 Fan on May 2, 2011 1:35 PM MDT up reply actions

Good calls, Taylor is defeinately worth a look

Haven’t seen Parker though

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by Broncoman on May 2, 2011 7:26 PM MDT up reply actions

Unless Ian has lost a bunch of weight recently he is not 296

NFL.com has Ian WIlliams listed at 319. I think he might have been 296 when he got some playing time for the Irish as a freshman, but that was many servings of meatloaf ago. The ND roster from 2010 has him listed as 6’2" 305.

by DE_BroncoFan on May 2, 2011 1:14 PM MDT reply actions

You are probably right, I got those numbers off his Norte Dame Bio

by Broncoman on May 2, 2011 7:26 PM MDT up reply actions

Foxy has traditionally played zone defense

so, short CB’s are fine. I think they will grab a bunch of college free agents because the defense is devoid of talent.

by ConradA on May 2, 2011 2:15 PM MDT reply actions

I like Ian Williams

the most of the DT prospects. He’s not as disruptive as someone like Dareus but an effective, block-eating run-stopper, which is apparently what Fox wants from his DTs. I would hope that the opportunity to get serious playing time as a rookie would help entice him to sign with us.

by Broncologist on May 2, 2011 3:33 PM MDT reply actions

I have watched every Irish game that Williams played in.

He had the ability to take over games from the NT position, but that was pre-MCL tear. Hopefully he gets back to that level. In 2009 against BC, he took over the game and completely dominated the interior of the BC line – the same line that consistently pushed Marvin Austin around that year. He is very active and his tackle numbers show it – 44 as a freshman, 1.5 TFL; 40 as a Soph, 2 TFL; 39 as a junior, 6 TFL. As a senior (in 8 games) 37 tackles, 3.5 TFL. The TFL numbers may not look all that impressive, but they look more impressive when you realize Williams was almost always facing a double team. Hopefully he likes his chances in Denver and doesn’t look to either stay in the Midwest or go back to his home state of FL.

by DE_BroncoFan on May 3, 2011 9:21 AM MDT up reply actions