Undrafted rookie free agents to watch

With the NFL draft now behind us, and teams signing what's left of the undrafted free agents , here is a look at a team by team breakdown of what rookie free agents could have an impact on making the roster this season.

AFC East

Miami Dolphins
RB Anthony Kimble of Stanford could have a chance to beat out Lex Hilliard as the backup to both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. On the defensive side look for DE/LB Orion Martin of Va. Tech to challenge Kendall Langford for the 3rd DE position, and with his versatility to also play LB has a good chance of at least finding a roster spot.

Buffalo Bills
Look for T Joel Bell of Furman to make the roster, and if he can show enough improvement could become their top backup at the tackle position. DT John Faletoese out of Cal-Davis could challenge Spencer Johnson for a roster spot as well, but if Johnson excels in camp Faletoese's days could be numbered as well. LB Ashlee Palmer from Ole Miss also has potential but will have competition from both Blake Costanzo and draft pick S/LB Nic Harris for the final LB spot.

New York Jets
QB Chris Pizzotti of Harvard is a big guy who is improving, and could beat out Erik Ainge for the 3rd QB spot, and with a good training camp, could even get some consideration for the backup job to Mark Sanchez if Kellen Clemens continues to falter. FB Brannon Southerland of Georgia could be a nice backup to FB Tony Richardson as well if they decide to keep two FB's on the roster. WR Britt Davis may have a tough time, but the 4th WR spot will be wide open and if David Clowney proves he has gotten over his injury and can still play, Davis along with Marcus Henry,Paul Raymond, and Huey Whittaker will all be in competition for the 5th WR job. TE Rob Myers out of Utah St. has a big upside and could beat out an aging Bubba Franks for the 2nd TE job backing up Dustin Keller. Rookie free agent C Michael Parenton could win the backup job by default, and T's Ryan McKee,Kyle Link, and Thutta Thompson will all be battling Mike Kracalik for a possible roster spot. DE Zach Potter of Nebraska has potential and is a good tackler, and has a chance to beat out Mike Devito as the top backup at DE. Rookie free agent DT's Matt Kroul and Ty Steinkuler will battle Kareem Brown and Anthony Harris for the final roster spot at DT. S Keith Fitzhugh from Miss.St. should also find a home as the 4th safety. P T.J. Conley could be a good one and has already put an end to Reggie Hodges' days as the Jets punter.

New England Patriots
LB Antonio Appleby out of Virginia will have his hands full but has a chance if he outperforms either Tully Banta-Cain,Gary Guyton,Pierre Woods, or Vince Redd. However, if he can show something in his time here, he could get a shot with another team should the Pats have to let him go.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo QB Drew Willy has potential and may be able to beat out former Dolphin John Beck for the 3rd QB spot if Beck does not show much in pre-season. FB Jason Cook may make it as a backup to LeRon McClain if they decide to keep two FB's. Rookie free agent WR's Eron Riley and Isaiah Williams will also be in competition for the 5th WR spot with Marcus Maxwell,Marcus Smith,Ernest Wheelwright, and Justin Harper. K Graham Gano of Florida St. may be good enough to send Steven Hauschka packing. DE/LB Wille Van DeSteeg of Cal is a candidate for the primary backup at DE, while DE/LB Luis Vasquez will try to steal a roster spot away from Bryan Mattison. The monsterously strong DT Will Johnson of Michigan will look to beat out Lamar Divens and Kelly Talavou for a roster spot at DT.

Cincinnati Bengals
WR Quan Cosby of Texas could be good enough to challenge Antonio Chatman for the 4th WR spot. G Steve Rehring of Ohio St. is getting a tryout with the Bengals, and although he may have some potential, will have to beat out either Scott Kooistra or Nate Livings to make the roster. If no one steps up as a long-snapper, rookie free agent James Smith could make the final roster. CB/S Eric Thatcher of Pitt. has some wheels and could be in competition for the dime back job with draft pick Morgan Trent and veteran Jamar Fletcher.

Cleveland Browns
TE Mike Massey will compete with Aaron Walker and Martin Rucker for the 3rd TE job. G Marlon Davis will compete with Isaac Sowells for a roster spot, with T Brandon Braxton trying to beat out Kurt Quarterman. DE/LB Philip Hunt of Houston has potential, but will need to reach it quickly as he will likely have to beat out Shaun Smith or ex-Jet Kenyon Coleman to get a spot on the team. Hunt could get a shot with someone else however if things don't work out in Cleveland. S Nate Ness of Arizona will challenge Nick Sorensen to make the final roster as well, and is another talent who could get a shot with another team should he be cut here.

Pittsburgh Steelers
QB Mike Reilly of Central Washington may be good enough to make them think twice about keeping Dennis Dixon as the 3rd string QB. RB Isaac Redman will battle it out with Ryan Powdrell and Justin Vincent to make the team should Rashard Mendenhall have any problem coming back from his season ending injury early last season. Limas Sweed needs to show he can add some value to the receiving corps, otherwise rookie free agents Stephen Black, Tyler Whisham, and Cedric Goodman will be in a wide open competition with Jayson Foster,Dallas Baker,Brandon Williams,Martin Nance, and Sweed for the 5th WR job. T Ramon Foster could be competition for Tony Hills to retain his roster spot as well. S Derrick Richardson will compete against Ryan Mundy for his roster spot as well.

AFC South

Houston Texans
RB Jeremiah Johnson out of Oregon has a good shot to make it as the 3rd RB backing up Steve Slaton and Chris Brown.T's Jason Watkins and Doug Dedrick will compete with Rashad Butler for a backup spot, while G Brandon Walker will challenge Kasey Studdard and Dan Stevenson for their roster spots. DE Tim Jamison from Michigan will likley battle Jesse Nading as the only defensive rookie free agent that has a chance to make the team.

Indianapolis Colts
WR's Brett McDermott and John Matthews will compete against Roy Hall,Taj Smith, and Samuel Giguere for the 5th WR job. Rookie free agent G/T Cornelius Lewis from Tenn.St. should provide stiff competition for draft pick Jaimie Thomas to try and make the team as a backup G. DT Adrian Grady of Louisville has a shot as a 4th DT, but there will be much competition from draft pick Terrence Taylor as well as Antonio Johnson,Quinn Pitcock, and Eric Foster. Look for LB Tyrell Sales of Penn St. to make the team as a backup LB.

Jacksonville Jaguars
RB/FB Kyle Bell of Colorado will battle Brock Bolen of Louisville for the backup FB position, and with Bell's versatility to also play RB could have a chance to beat out Montell Owens if Bolen and Bell each impress. TE Tyler Lorenzen will be in a wide open competition with draft pick Zach Miller and TE's Rich Angulo,Greg Estandia, and Charles Davis for the 2nd and 3rd TE jobs. DE/LB Julius Williams of UConn should make the team as a backup due to his versatility. DT Nader Abdallah of Ohio St. also has a good chance to make the team as a backup DT. LB's Russell Allen of San Diego St. and Johnny Williams of Kentucky also have a great chance to make the final roster, and Williams even has the potential to see spot duty as a 4th LB if he can play up to his potential. S's Michael Desormeaux and Kevin Patterson will battle Omare Lowe to see if one of them can take his roster spot.

Tennessee Titans
If WR Justin McCareins re-signs, then it's not likely, but if he doesn't then WR's Dudley Guice and Phillip Morris will be in an all out war with Mark Jones,Chris Davis, Paul Williams,Lavelle Hawkins, and Craphonso Thorpe for the final WR spot. G Ryan Schmidt could land a spot as a backup G, but Jason Murphy,Doug Datish, and fellow rookie Ryan Durand along with T's Peter Clifford and Fernando Velasco will all be trying to take his roster spot.

AFC West

Denver Broncos
TE Marquez Branson out of Central Arkansas could challenge draft pick Richard Quinn for the 3rd TE spot, and could hook up with another team if he doesn't make the cut here in Denver. Rookie free agent tackles Stanley Bryant and Marcus Gordon will compete against Matt McChesney and Tyler Polumbus for the final roster spot as a backup T. DE Rulon Davis of Cal will compete against Jarvis Moss and is another player that has a chance to catch on with another team if not able to make the final cut here. DT Chris Baker of Hampton has the potential to possibly become a starter when they play in a 4-3 defense. LB Lee Robinson of Alcorn St. has the chance to make the team and could compete with Mario Haggan,Louis Green, and Nick Greisen for the 5th LB.


Kansas City Chiefs
TE Tom Crabtree will compete with Brad Cottam,Mike Merritt,Tony Curtis, and draft choice Jake O'Connell for a roster spot and even as the starter at TE. DE/LB Pierre Walters of E.Illinois has a good shot to make the team as a backup due to his versatility. S Ricky Price could also make the team as a backup S, unless one of their CB's can make the move to the safety position.

Oakland Raiders
LB Frantz Joseph from Florida Atlantic should make the roster and has a chance to even become their 4th LB. LB David Nixon should compete with Marquis Cooper and Isaiah Ekejiuba for a backup LB job.

San Diego Chargers
TE's Jeremiah Worzbacher and Kory Sperry from Colorado St. will compete with Kris Wilson for the 3rd TE job. G Ben Muth will compete with Brandon Dombrowski for a backup G position, with rookie free agent T's Samuel Allen,Ryan McDonald, and Dan Gay trying to take a roster spot from Corey Clark. DT Rashad Jackson will try to make the team as the 4th DT and will try to steal a roster spot from Ian Scott or Ogemdi Nwagbuo. LB James Holt of Kansas will see if he can beat out Kevin Burnett,Tim Dobbins, or Jyles Tucker to make the team, but should get a shot with another team if he can't make it here. CB Wopamo Osaisai of Stanford could compete with Cletis Gordon for a possible dimeback role.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys
FB Asaph Schwapp from Notre Dame could make the team if he can beat out Julius Crosslin and they decide to keep two FB's on the roster. WR Kevin Ogletree out of Virgina could be the best WR not to get drafted and should make the team as at least the 5th WR, but could challenge draft choice Manuel Johnson for the 4th WR role. G Greg Isdaner from West Virginia could make the team as a backup G if he can beat out Corey Procter.

New York Giants
C Alex Derenthal of Temple should battle Mike Fladell for the backup center spot. CB's Bruce Johnson of Miami,Deandre Wright, and Vince Anderson will all be competing against Rashad Barksdale, Travonti Johnson, and draft choice Stony Woodson for the 5th CB slot. S's Kenny Ingram and Sha'Reff Rashad will be competing with Steve Cargile for the final safety spot.

Philadelphia Eagles
RB's Marcus Thigpen and Walter Mendenhall will be competing with Lorenzo Booker and Eldra Buckley for the 3rd RB spot. LB Dallas Reynolds will try to beat out Torrance Daniels,Joe Mays, or Charleston Hughes for the final LB spot.

Washington Redskins
QB Chase Daniel of Missouri will challenge Colt Brennan for his roster spot as the 3rd QB. TE Robert Agnone will try to beat out Todd Yoder and Fred Davis as the 3rd TE. C Edwin Williams of Maryland should be out Will Montgomery for the backup center job. LB Darrel Young of Villanova will compete against Jeremy Cain,Tyson Smith and draft picks Robert Henson and Cody Glenn to make the team, and a spot on the depth chart. CB Doug Ditch will try to beat out Justin Tryon,Byron Westbrook, and Michael Grant to make the team as well. Lendy Holmes of Oklahoma could have enough potential to become their top backup at safety and could make either Reed Doughty or Kareem Moore expendable.

NFC North

Chicago Bears
FB Will Ta'ufo'ou should make the squad if they keep two FB's, and may even challenge Jason McKie for the starting role. WR Maurice Covington of Virginia is in camp on a tryout basis, and could challenge Earl Bennett or draft choice Johnny Knox for a roster spot or even a possible 4th WR role. G's Joshua Asiata and Dennis Conley will compete against Tyler Reed and draft pick Lance Lewis for a backup G job and a place on the roster. LB Mike Rivera of Kansas has a good chance to make the team as a backup LB.

Detroit Lions
C Dan Gerberry will compete against Junius Coston for the backup C job.

Green Bay Packers
WR Jamarko Simmons of Western Michigan should make the team as the 5th WR, and may even be able to challenge James Jones and Jordy Nelson for the 3rd WR spot. TE's Travis Dekker and Carson Butler will compete against Tory Humphrey and Evan Moore for the 3rd TE spot. P Adam Graessle will be in competition with Durant Brooks and Jeremy Kapinos to make the final roster.

Minnesota Vikings
RB's Ian Johnson of Boise St. and Kahlil Bell of UCLA will compete against Albert Young for the backup position to Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor. TE Nick Walker will try to beat out veterans Jim Kleinsasser and Jeff Dugan for a spot as the 3rd TE. C Jon Cooper of Oklahoma should make the team and could challenge John Sullivan for the starting C job. G Andy Kemp of Wisconsin should also make the team and could also challenge Artis Hicks or Anthony Herrera for a starting job. T's Bobby Lepori and Nick Urban will battle Drew Radovich and Chris Clark for a roster spot as a backup tackle. LB Robert Francois from Boston College will compete against Erin Henderson and David Herron to make the team as a backup LB. S/CB Devon Hall from Utah St. should make the team as a backup safety and could even challenge Tyrell Johnson or draft pick Jamarca Sanford for a starting job.


NFC South

Atlanta Falcons
QB John Parker Wilson out of Alabama will have a chance to beat out D.J.Shockley for the 3rd string QB job. WR's Aaron Kelly and Darren Rougey will compete with Eric Weems and Chandler Williams for the 5th WR spot. G Ryan Stanchek could also have a shot at sticking as a backup G unless one of the other C's or T's can move to G and provide depth. LB's Rashad Bobino,Brock Christopher,and Derek Nicholson will try to beat out Tony Gilbert,Edmond Miles,Robert James, and draft choice Spencer Adkins for backup LB positions and roster spots.

Carolina Panthers
WR Jason Chery from La.-Lafayette should make the roster and may even challenge Dwayne Jarrett for the 3rd WR role. TE Kevin Brock from Rutgers also has a great shot to make the team, and could eventually become a starter if Dante Rosario and Jeff King can't prove to be worthy. C Keith Gray could win the backup job at center. G C.J.Davis out of Pitt will be in competition with Mackenzy Bernardeau,Justin Geisinger, and Jonathon Palmer for a backup G spot as well, while T Gerald Cadogan from Penn St. is likely to win a backup job with Patrick Brown and Gary Williams trying to make the roster as a backup tackle against Geoff Schwartz. DT Marlon Favorite from LSU will compete against Nick Hayden for the 4th DT spot. Look for rookie free agent LB's Mortty Ivy from West Virginia and Anthony Heygood out of Purdue to both make the team as backup LB's. CB D.J.Clark will compete against C.J.Wilson and Joe Fields for the 5th CB spot, while S Anthony Scirrotto from Penn St. will try to beat out Quinton Teal and Nate Salley for a backup safety job.

New Orleans Saints
RB Herb Donaldson of W.Illinois has a good shot to be the 3rd RB behind Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. G/C Alex Fletcher from Stanford should make the team as a backup G, and could eventually challenge for the starting C job. T Augustus Parrish will have to beat out Zach Strief for a backup tackle and roster spot. DT Earl Heyman will compete against Remi Ayodele and DeMario Pressley for a backup spot and roster spot as well. LB Jonathon Casillas will compete against Dan Morgan, Rob Ninkovich,and Anthony Waters to make the team as a backup LB.

Tampa Bay Bucs
WR Pat Carter will compete against Joel Filani,Cortez Hankton,Brian Clark,Dexter Jackson, and Kelly Campbell for the 5th WR job. C's Rob Bruegerman and Maurice Miller will compete against each other for the backup center job. CB DeAngelo Willingham of Tenn. should make the team, and may even be good enough to compete for the nickel back job. Marshall McDuffie and Evan McCullough will compete with Torrie Cox,Kyle Arrington, and draft pick E.J.Biggers for the 5th CB spot.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals
LB's Reggie Walker and Chase Bullock will compete with Alonzo Highsmith for a roster spot.

San Francisco 49ers
RB Kory Sheets from Purdue will be in competition with Michael Robinson and draft pick Glen Coffee for the backup job to Frank Gore. Sheets may find a roster spot somewhere else if he cannot make the final cut here in SF. T Alex Boone of Ohio St. should beat out Jacob Bender and Joe Toledo for the top backup tackle spot. DE Brandon Long from Michigan St. should challenge Ray McDonald and Demetric Evans for playing time, and could find himself getting some playing time in a DE rotation. LB/S Jerome Boyd out of Oregon should also be able to land a backup LB position, and could challenge for playing time at safety.

Seattle Seahawks
RB Devin Moore of Wyoming should make the squad and challenge T.J.Duckett for his backup role to Julius Jones. DE Michael Bennett of Texas A&M will have to compete against Baraka Atkins and Lawrence Jackson for a roster spot, but could get a chance with another team if he doesn't make the final cut here.

Saint Louis Rams
G's Roger Allen of Missouri Western and Ray Feinga of BYU will compete with each other for a roster spot and could challenge Mark Setterstrom or John Greco for a starting nod as well. CB Cordelius Parks will compete against Quincy Butler,Justin King,David Roach,and Marcus Brown for the 5th CB spot.


As you can see, there are quite a few rookie free agents who could make rosters this season, and more than a couple that could have an impact by becoming a starter or at least getting some playing time. The draft should help everyone, but it's these free agents who can really build your roster and be an improvement to the team as a whole.