[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: training camp bodies, or?

We're up to 66 players signed. No less than 10 players signed with us post-draft, with 3 of them veterans and 7 undrafted rookies.

P Jimmy Summers might be the biggest fish here. Ironically, we talked with him before the draft, but when we found out the Toronto Lake Monsters were willing to pay him double, we backed out. Until the Lake Monsters picked the top punter prospect in the draft and also backup out of the negotiations. As a result, Summers was still without a team. And that's where we jumped back in, offering a somewhat cheap contract to the third best punter, according to my staff. This obviously boosts our special teams unit into being more awesome than it already was. And undoubtfully ending the stints of Dana Louis and Mack Nelson with our team. Summers is 29, he surely has at least half a decade of football still in his leg. Our staff assesses him as a 75/75 overall punter.

We also signed G Nathaniel Robbins and CB Sherman Barnes. Robbins has been a backup in Kansas for 5 seasons. To be fair, we mostly wanted Robbins to mentor rookie G Andres Uwaezuoke, but he'll jump ahead of Corwin Driver and Kenyon Helm in the depth chart as well.
Barnes restores piece in the locker room, after CB Logan Wallace had become our secondary leader. Barnes has his fair share of intercepting skills and zone defense skills, run defense skills and could be an emergency special teamer. Robbins is scouted as a 45/45 guard, Barnes as a 45/45 cornerback.

Undrafted QB Dalton Burin (5/30) is green, with very good sense rush ability (75) and good timing (45/65), but as is won't beat 6th round pick QB Monty Truitt or 4th year QB Randy Walters.

Undrafted RB Rufus McDonald (30/40) needs to show progress in camp, but he's got a shot with his breakaway speed (65) and hole recognition (45/55).

Undrafted FB Carlos Wiggins (20/40) was signed with the promise of being a viable passing downs guy, particularly with his ability to pickup the blitz (45/95), but his pass blocking (20/40), route running (20/55) and in particular his lack of run blocking and endurance make it unlikely he'll make the team.

Undrafted WR Cory Mattox (20/35) will be a longshot to make the team. His route running (40/80) is note worthy, but he lacks anything else to make you think he can make the 53 men roster.

Undrafted DE Lester Simmons (20/35) was the coin flip decision with late 7th round pick DT Conrad Colombo. Simmons' pass rush technique (25/70) is less polish and promising than Colombo's.

Undrafted CB Herb Duffy (25/40) has an interesting skill set, with good run defense (30/55) and in particular very promising zone defense (60/85) and interceptions (65/75) skills. He's not good enough for our special teams unit, lacks endurance to be an all downs back and at 5'7" and 185 pounds looks like he might be too small to play football.

Undrafted CB Joel Delgado (35/45) looks like another rough diamond. He might be a solid alternative as a man to man (50/85) or bump and run (60/65) pass defender, with intercepting skills (70/75). His low endurance, lack of zone defense ability and run defense, make him an interesting alternative for CB Logan Wiggins or CB Otis Hane on the outside.

And with that, we go into training camp, $24M under the cap, which we'll need to extend contracts of at minimum LB Gus Coleman and QB Evan Drake. With these 66 players, there's quite some decision making to come, as early as right after camp, when we'll have to trim down to 60.