Just out this morning -
>>>>Panthers look for next star in undrafted free agency
By Darin Gantt The Herald
(Published May 14‚ 2006)
CHARLOTTE -- It took the NFL's 32 teams two days to select 255 players in the draft.
The next 250 or so came off the board within two hours of the final pick, as teams, players and agents scrambled furiously for deals generally considered the smallest of formalities to all but the parties involved.
Panthers general manager Marty Hurney compared the frantic minutes after the draft to a land rush, as teams scramble to fill rosters and find the few hidden gems in the undrafted market. He said there are at least eight phone lines (not counting the cell phones, which allow them to double-fist) in their war room devoted to the process, which begins the moment the last player's chosen.
"The fact that any of the undrafted free agents make the team after everybody goes through seven rounds of the draft shows you how unpredictable this business can be," Hurney said. "You're competing with 31 other teams, and a lot of times it's for the same few guys."
Most of the players signed after the draft have little to no chance to make their teams. However, as long as there are tales of Jake Delhomme and Brad Hoover, or Maake Kemoeatu and the late Fred Lane -- players who were never drafted -- they will always have hope.
The Panthers signed 13 of them, mostly to fill out the practice lines for training camp. However, there are a few they like in particular, and the case of Michigan offensive lineman Adam Stenavich illustrates how crazy the post-draft moments can become.
Stenavich was one of the plums of the UDFA market, a three-year starter at left tackle at a traditional warehouse for line talent. However, a hamstring injury caused him to run his pre-draft 40-yard dashes in elephantine times -- 5.61 and 5.62 seconds, to be sundial specific. His agent anticipated a slide, and once the sixth round came and went, was actually hoping his client wouldn't hear his name called.
"For the players, and it's more of a pride thing, it's better to be drafted," agent Joseph Flanagan said. "But in reality, they have a better chance of sticking a lot of times if they get to pick where they go."
Twelve teams were immediately on the phone with Flanagan regarding Stenavich, and none of them offered more than the $20,000 signing bonus the Panthers had. But that wasn't why the Panthers landed him. Flanagan had studied the Panthers roster and watched their draft, and was aware they were thin along the line. That moved them closer to a deal, which took a few more quick phone calls to consummate.
Three or four other teams were seriously interested in getting him, so Flanagan had other calls to field as well, and he had to consult with his client. In the end, they chose Carolina's offer to compete for a backup guard job. Elapsed time? "Probably no more than 40 or 45 minutes," Flanagan said with a laugh. "The market for these guys is dead within two hours, and you've got to work fast to get them in the right spot."
All this for a player with only an outside shot at a place on the roster. The fact he was given one of the largest bonuses the Panthers handed out gives him no inherent advantages, as he's competing with other players with similar backgrounds for a job. Still, he's got $20,000 in his pocket, and a chance.
For undrafted players, it's all they can ask for.
· ON THE BUBBLE: It was minor housekeeping when tight end Mike Seidman and linebacker Vinny Ciurciu signed their $721,600 contract tenders last week, but if they're not careful, they could be swept off the roster completely this year.
Both players could fall victim to additions at their positions and be on the outside when the final roster's constructed.
The Panthers tendered both the low amount as restricted free agents, and to no surprise, neither got an offer.
No one was going to give up a third-round pick for Seidman, a guy with 18 career catches -- and none of them last year. Of the group of tight ends on the current roster, Seidman might be the odd man out. The Panthers know exactly what they're going to get each day from Kris Mangum and they think there's still untapped potential in Michael Gaines if he'd only become more consistent. They also think fifth-round pick Jeff King has the chance to become a contributor in the Mangum mold. Seidman has talent and the frame, but has never demonstrated the level of skill they expected as a blocker or a receiver.
Ciurciu was never more than a special teamer here, and when the Panthers signed Keith Adams and Na'il Diggs and drafted James Anderson, his chances of even making the squad grew dim. If the Panthers keep their usual six linebackers, it's easy to figure that group will include Dan Morgan, Thomas Davis, versatile backup Chris Draft and Adam Seward. Anderson looks very much like a younger version of Will Witherspoon, meaning that either Diggs or Adams but perhaps not both will make the 53-man roster. That gives Ciurciu and fellow reserve Sean Tufts the slimmest of chances to hang around.
· EXTRA POINTS: Exclusive rights free agents Efrem Hill and Atiyyah Ellison signed their one-year offers last week, Hill for $275,000 and Ellison for $350,000. Hill's looking like a dark-horse to make the team again this year, and his return skills could become the niche he fits into. Ellison's more of a long shot, given the massive upgrades at defensive tackle. ...
The Panthers are still working to resolve the status of undrafted rookie offensive lineman Seppo Evwaraye. The former exchange student from Finland is trying to iron out a work visa before he can take the field with his teammates.
Once Evwaraye is under contract, the Panthers will have 83 players on the roster. The eight unsigned draft picks don't count against the limit yet, but once they do, the Panthers will have to cut three players before they go to training camp.<<<<<
I wonder what Gantt thinks about Toeania's chances? I don't see him as our type of lineman at all. Seems like a bunch of teams would be interested in him as a potential RT project though.
Does Gantt ever check in at TBR?
