Perfect72
It's Only Happened ONCE!
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-nfls-most-intriguing-undrafted-rookie-battle
Few undrafted rookies competing for NFL roster spots this summer have the realistic opportunity to play immediately that the four linebackers who signed with the Miami Dolphins do. The battle to earn that opportunity, however, could be ferocious.
Those four linebackers—Cincinnati’s Jeff Luc, Utah State’s Zach Vigil, Penn State’s Mike Hull and Marshall’s Neville Hewitt—were all considered to be potential Day 3 picks in the 2015 NFL draft.
After going undrafted, signing with Miami was a logical move for each of them. While the Dolphins made seven selections in the first five rounds of the draft, they did not use a single pick on the linebacker position, which was regarded to be one of their biggest needs coming out of free agency.
The Dolphins have two adequate starting linebackers. Jelani Jenkins led the team with 110 tackles in 2014, his first season starting at weak-side linebacker. Koa Misi has started more than half the team’s games in each of his five NFL seasons and is a decent all-around player who can line up at both middle linebacker and strong-side linebacker in the team’s 4-3 defense.
Beyond Jenkins and Misi, however, the Dolphins’ linebacker depth chart is a huge question mark.
The Dolphins moved on from three veteran linebackers of significance this offseason as they released Philip Wheeler, traded Dannell Ellerbeand let Jason Trusnik walk in free agency. Their only veteran addition at the position was Spencer Paysinger, who signed a one-year contract worth $745,000 after being removed from the New York Giants’ starting lineup last season.
That leaves the Dolphins with a wide-open competition for playing time and roster spots at the linebacker position. There are four other veterans—fifth-year linebacker Kelvin Sheppard and second-year linebackers Chris McCain, Jordan Tripp and Jake Knott—on the roster. None of those players, however, have proven themselves worthy of being NFL starters, and all of them should have to compete to keep their jobs in training camp and the preseason.
Typically, undrafted free agents are long shots to beat out returning veterans but in this case, they might not be and should not be.
There should be at least one roster spot—and potentially an immediate role in the Dolphins defensive rotation—available for whoever emerges as the best performer(s) among Luc, Vigil, Hull and Hewitt.
The Job on the Line
Considering that Luc, Vigil, Hull and Hewitt were four of the best linebacker prospects to go unselected among the draft’s 256 picks, they would not have all chosen to sign with Miami if they (and their agents) did not sense that the Dolphins would give them a legitimate shot to make the 53-man roster and have a successful career.
Likewise, the Dolphins would not have signed four linebackers—among 15 total undrafted free-agent signings—if they did not feel as though they had a need for competition at the position.
Truly, the Dolphins could have a nine-man linebacker competition for what will likely be four or five roster spots, with Jenkins and Misi being the only locks to make the team at the position.
The most likely candidates to be Miami’s third starting linebacker are Sheppard and McCain. Sheppard, who started one game at middle linebacker last season, would project to playing that position, with Misimoving back to his old position of strong-side linebacker. McCain, who appeared in 10 games as an undrafted rookie in 2014, would line up at strong-side linebacker, with Misi staying in the middle.
Each of those players, however, will have to prove they deserve significant playing time in 2015. And until one of them or any other linebacker on the Dolphins roster does so, the door will be open for the rookies—even though they were undrafted—to climb the depth chart and make a push to get on the field.
It would still be a surprise if any of the undrafted rookies are in the starting lineup come Week 1 of the regular season, but the Dolphins should not be looking for immediate gratification with any of them.
Instead, Miami should evaluate each of its four new linebackers closely to determine the rookies’ long-term starting potential, as well as their positional versatility and ability to contribute on special teams.
Ultimately, it would be ideal if the Dolphins can cultivate their middle linebacker of the future from their quartet of undrafted newcomers. Truly, Misi is more well-suited to play as a “Sam” than a “Mike” in a 4-3 defense; according to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald, there has been “a spirited debate within the organization” as to which positionMisi should play going forward.
At this point, however, position specifics should be less important for the Dolphins than simply finding linebackers who can provide consistent quality play on the field. Making the case that they can do that will be the key for each undrafted rookie trying to beat the odds and remain employed by the Dolphins this fall.
The Competitors
Having already looked at the bigger picture of why the Dolphins’ undrafted rookie linebackers can contend for playing time in 2015, the rest of this article will focus on those linebackers themselves, taking into account the presumption that at least one of the four contenders will unseat veterans for a roster spot.
Despite opting not to use a draft pick on the position, it’s clear the Dolphins did their predraft homework in identifying players who could potentially be had on the UDFA market that have the skills to come in and be legitimate competitors.
While each of the four linebackers have their own strengths and weaknesses that could help or hurt their chances of making the team, one commonality between the signings is that all four were highly productive in their senior seasons of college football.
Few undrafted rookies competing for NFL roster spots this summer have the realistic opportunity to play immediately that the four linebackers who signed with the Miami Dolphins do. The battle to earn that opportunity, however, could be ferocious.
Those four linebackers—Cincinnati’s Jeff Luc, Utah State’s Zach Vigil, Penn State’s Mike Hull and Marshall’s Neville Hewitt—were all considered to be potential Day 3 picks in the 2015 NFL draft.
After going undrafted, signing with Miami was a logical move for each of them. While the Dolphins made seven selections in the first five rounds of the draft, they did not use a single pick on the linebacker position, which was regarded to be one of their biggest needs coming out of free agency.
The Dolphins have two adequate starting linebackers. Jelani Jenkins led the team with 110 tackles in 2014, his first season starting at weak-side linebacker. Koa Misi has started more than half the team’s games in each of his five NFL seasons and is a decent all-around player who can line up at both middle linebacker and strong-side linebacker in the team’s 4-3 defense.
Beyond Jenkins and Misi, however, the Dolphins’ linebacker depth chart is a huge question mark.
The Dolphins moved on from three veteran linebackers of significance this offseason as they released Philip Wheeler, traded Dannell Ellerbeand let Jason Trusnik walk in free agency. Their only veteran addition at the position was Spencer Paysinger, who signed a one-year contract worth $745,000 after being removed from the New York Giants’ starting lineup last season.
That leaves the Dolphins with a wide-open competition for playing time and roster spots at the linebacker position. There are four other veterans—fifth-year linebacker Kelvin Sheppard and second-year linebackers Chris McCain, Jordan Tripp and Jake Knott—on the roster. None of those players, however, have proven themselves worthy of being NFL starters, and all of them should have to compete to keep their jobs in training camp and the preseason.
Typically, undrafted free agents are long shots to beat out returning veterans but in this case, they might not be and should not be.
There should be at least one roster spot—and potentially an immediate role in the Dolphins defensive rotation—available for whoever emerges as the best performer(s) among Luc, Vigil, Hull and Hewitt.
The Job on the Line
Considering that Luc, Vigil, Hull and Hewitt were four of the best linebacker prospects to go unselected among the draft’s 256 picks, they would not have all chosen to sign with Miami if they (and their agents) did not sense that the Dolphins would give them a legitimate shot to make the 53-man roster and have a successful career.
Likewise, the Dolphins would not have signed four linebackers—among 15 total undrafted free-agent signings—if they did not feel as though they had a need for competition at the position.
Truly, the Dolphins could have a nine-man linebacker competition for what will likely be four or five roster spots, with Jenkins and Misi being the only locks to make the team at the position.
The most likely candidates to be Miami’s third starting linebacker are Sheppard and McCain. Sheppard, who started one game at middle linebacker last season, would project to playing that position, with Misimoving back to his old position of strong-side linebacker. McCain, who appeared in 10 games as an undrafted rookie in 2014, would line up at strong-side linebacker, with Misi staying in the middle.
Each of those players, however, will have to prove they deserve significant playing time in 2015. And until one of them or any other linebacker on the Dolphins roster does so, the door will be open for the rookies—even though they were undrafted—to climb the depth chart and make a push to get on the field.
It would still be a surprise if any of the undrafted rookies are in the starting lineup come Week 1 of the regular season, but the Dolphins should not be looking for immediate gratification with any of them.
Instead, Miami should evaluate each of its four new linebackers closely to determine the rookies’ long-term starting potential, as well as their positional versatility and ability to contribute on special teams.
Ultimately, it would be ideal if the Dolphins can cultivate their middle linebacker of the future from their quartet of undrafted newcomers. Truly, Misi is more well-suited to play as a “Sam” than a “Mike” in a 4-3 defense; according to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald, there has been “a spirited debate within the organization” as to which positionMisi should play going forward.
At this point, however, position specifics should be less important for the Dolphins than simply finding linebackers who can provide consistent quality play on the field. Making the case that they can do that will be the key for each undrafted rookie trying to beat the odds and remain employed by the Dolphins this fall.
The Competitors
Having already looked at the bigger picture of why the Dolphins’ undrafted rookie linebackers can contend for playing time in 2015, the rest of this article will focus on those linebackers themselves, taking into account the presumption that at least one of the four contenders will unseat veterans for a roster spot.
Despite opting not to use a draft pick on the position, it’s clear the Dolphins did their predraft homework in identifying players who could potentially be had on the UDFA market that have the skills to come in and be legitimate competitors.
While each of the four linebackers have their own strengths and weaknesses that could help or hurt their chances of making the team, one commonality between the signings is that all four were highly productive in their senior seasons of college football.
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