Vikings Undrafted Free Agents

[DK Sweets]

None of them are John Randle, that's for sure.

I haven't the slightest idea who Rodney Smith is....maybe that's a good thing, but I think(hunch) Zach Line will have a breakout year of sorts. I can see him being used by Turner as well as being exceptional on special teams.

Rodney Smith is the tall receiver that played fairly well late in the preseason. There was quite a bit of debate on the board whether he deserves a roster spot. He ended up getting picked up by Cleveland off waivers.

[Pseudo Everything]

Missed a couple:
Andrew Sendejo
Adam Thielen

Sendejo was signed by Dallas in 2010 and was on their roster for two games and subsequently with the Jets in 2011 ... so technically he's not one of our UDFAs.

Good catch on Thielen. I was trying to compile the list by looking at the UDFAs we signed just after the draft. Thielen was signed after a rookie tryout (making him an even longer shot).

[The Breeze]

Rodney Smith is the tall receiver that played fairly well late in the preseason. There was quite a bit of debate on the board whether he deserves a roster spot. He ended up getting picked up by Cleveland off waivers.[/quote]


I do remember him. Thanks for the refresher

[Crax]

Article on some of the undrafted guys: http://www.vikings.com/news/article-1/5 ... 6f97a4e93f

Quote from Ben Leber mentioned in the article on Jordan Leslie:

@nacholeber
#Vikings fans, don't be surprised if UDFA WR Jordan Leslie shines. Outstanding career at UTEP before injury at BYU. Will be very reliable.

I didn't see him at UTEP, but watched a fair amount at BYU. Leslie is pretty good and seems to do a good job of playing smart and getting the ball even if he isn't open in the traditional sense. He's not a speed demon like some other guys and I think he could be a good role player somewhere. I don't know that there is a place on this team for him though as we seem to have a ton of guys now between the ones already here, the draft, and multiple free agents trying for a few spots.

[dead_poet]

The Undrafted

Taylor Heinicke, QB, Old Dominion: It wasn’t a vintage quarterback class by any means, but Heinicke was the fourth graded quarterback at CFF, third if you remove Auburn’s Nick Marshall who is now a cornerback. Showed legit promise at times and could prove a fantastic pickup as a UDFA.

Anthony Harris, S, Virginia: Only five players had a better coverage grade over the season at CFF, thanks to some impressive plays covering the slot or playing deep for the Cavaliers.

Davaris Daniels, WR, Notre Dame: Did not play this year for Notre Dame.

Jordan Leslie, WR, BYU: A deep threat for BYU, almost a third of his targets were deep balls. Flashed big plays but also drops.

Justin Coleman, CB, Tennessee: Graded well, but much of it was against the run. Allowed 58% of targets to be caught.

Gavin Lutman, WR, Pittsburg State: Did not face FBS competition this year.

Blake Renaud, LB/FB, Boise State: Graded well as a linebacker at Boise this year, especially in the run game. Notched 18 defensive stops.

Jack Sherlock, ED, South Dakota State: Played one game against FBS competition this year, 31 snaps against Missouri. Notched two hurries, but graded average.

Steve Tellefsen, S, South Dakota: Played one game against FBS competition this year, was torched by Oregon’s high-octane offense. Surrendered five catches on six targets for 112 yards and a touchdown.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2 ... a-vikings/

[dead_poet]

Vikings: Long story short, Taylor Heinicke sure he can be NFL QB

http://www.twincities.com/vikings/ci_28 ... ke-sure-he

Playing in Old Dominion's spread offense, Heinicke completed 1,238 of 1,829 career passes (67.7 percent) for 14,959 yards with 132 touchdowns and 39 interceptions in four seasons. He won the Walter Payton Award, which goes to the top player at the FCS level, after throwing for 5,076 yards and 44 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2012.

Heinicke's statistics dropped a bit as a junior and senior because, he said, the Monarchs' competition was better. Old Dominion moved up to FBS in 2013, playing one year as an independent before joining Conference USA last year.

"Heinicke is a cerebral passer who operates really well in the spread, using timing and quick strike throws," NFL draft analyst Dane Brugler said. "He lacks ideal physical traits, with an average arm, but he exudes leadership and toughness, playing with a chip on his shoulder. If given a chance, he could carve out a backup job.''

[mondry]

Would be nice if he impressed enough to take hold of that #3 developmental QB spot, never to early to start grooming another QB. If everything goes right (bridgewater stud, he plays well) you can always trade um to some QB desperate team for a nice fat pick.

[dead_poet]

Zimmer on UFA S Anthony Harris: "He has a lot of the traits of the starting safeties in this league.”

[jackal]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQv8xFdqmNA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlGx40FRxnw

How does this guy not get drafted ??

Sacks, Tackles Picks, and hustles ??

[Raptorman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQv8xFdqmNA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlGx40FRxnw

How does this guy not get drafted ??

Sacks, Tackles Picks, and hustles ??

One thing I noticed in those clips is that when he tackles, he wraps the player up and tries to spin him down. Good tackling. I would like to see more rather than just the highlights.

[dead_poet]

Undrafted safety Harris chose Vikings with eye on playing time

Harris was also looking for a place he can play. Zimmer, who will have a competition for the second starting safety next to Smith, liked what he saw in Harris, as well.

"He's a very instinctive, smart, very, very smart, very communicative safety," Zimmer said. "I think he plays really hard. He has a lot of the traits of the starting safeties in this league."

http://www.foxsports.com/north/story/un ... ime-052015

[dead_poet]

Inside Slant: Journey from spread to the NFL, one step at a time

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/ ... -at-a-time

Only seven quarterbacks were drafted this year, the fewest since 1955, as league executives feel their way through the challenges posed by the spread's proliferation. Still, there remain roughly 96 roster spots available to quarterbacks, forcing teams into new levels of projection and out-of-the box thinking to find suitable depth.

"If you just eliminate the spread quarterbacks because of the offense they play, you're going to miss out on a lot of good players," said Vikings quarterbacks coach Scott Turner. "Because so many people are running that offense and it's not changing. I don't think anyone is going to tell Baylor that their offense is bad when they're scoring 55 points a game. So you've got to go work these guys out."