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2017 UDFAs

OL Leo Koloamatangi Hawaii
WR Noel Thomas Uconn
Des Lawrence, DB, North Carolina
Jeremiah Valoaga, DE, UNLV
Tion Green RB Cincinnati
Rob Tonyan TE/WR Iowa St
Brandon Barnes, TE, Alabama State
Josh Thornton, CB, Southern Utah
 
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a little write up I found on Norton and REctor. One site had them both listed as the top 10 available UDFA's

Norton has superior length at 6-8, 310 pounds, moves well and is adept at pulling. With a strong punch and fundamentally sound footwork, Norton even pancaked a defender in pass protection during the East-West game. Norton was a two-time, first-team All-MAC selection and was picked on some All-American teams last season

Michael Rector, WR, Stanford — Rector is a 6-1, 190-pound former track athlete with excellent speed. Rector can also return kicks, though he didn’t do much of that playing behind Christian McCaffrey. Rector had 104 career receptions for 1,681 yards and 15 touchdowns at Stanford
 
I can't imagine what they saw in Jeremiah Valoaga to sign the kid. I mean, good for him... but he has no tape really. He missed 2014 with grades. He broke his ankle in 2015 and only played in 5 games. He was dismissed from the team in 2016 for violation of team rules.

Somehow, a kid with a handfull of games, on a very bad team, who was pretty much unheard of got a visit from NFL coaches? And they saw something they liked enough to sign him?

I don't know what I am missing here, and I doubt anyone outside the Lions offices knows... but I'm curious.
 
wheels002 said:
a little write up I found on Norton and REctor. One site had them both listed as the top 10 available UDFA's

Norton has superior length at 6-8, 310 pounds, moves well and is adept at pulling. With a strong punch and fundamentally sound footwork, Norton even pancaked a defender in pass protection during the East-West game. Norton was a two-time, first-team All-MAC selection and was picked on some All-American teams last season

Michael Rector, WR, Stanford ? Rector is a 6-1, 190-pound former track athlete with excellent speed. Rector can also return kicks, though he didn?t do much of that playing behind Christian McCaffrey. Rector had 104 career receptions for 1,681 yards and 15 touchdowns at Stanford
Click to expand...

I read up on Rector. I don't see him making the practice squad. He has stone hands and is a bad route runner. A bad combo for a receiver but he has great speed.
 
I look at it this way. If one of these guys can play then we got lucky. Really all they are is paid tackling dummies for the guys that will really make the team.
 
http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2017/04/udfa_tracker_giant_ot_storm_no.html

UDFA tracker: The Lions finally get their running back

GM Bob Quinn said there were a couple backs he liked, but after going in other directions to open the draft, none of the remaining prospects projected to beat out the current rotation.

Minutes after the draft concluded, though, Detroit did add some competition to the position by agreeing to a deal with Cincinnati running back Tion Green.

At 6-foot and 230 pounds, Green is a huge back. He runs like it too. He doesn't create for himself much, but he doesn't pussyfoot between the tackles either. He's a downhill back looking to punch people in the face.

He finished his career with 2,072 yards on 445 carries and 19 touchdowns.

Green will compete with Zach Zenner and Dwayne Washington for a reserve job behind Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick. Mike James is also on the roster.
 
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tigermud said:
http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2017/04/udfa_tracker_giant_ot_storm_no.html

UDFA tracker: The Lions finally get their running back

GM Bob Quinn said there were a couple backs he liked, but after going in other directions to open the draft, none of the remaining prospects projected to beat out the current rotation.

Minutes after the draft concluded, though, Detroit did add some competition to the position by agreeing to a deal with Cincinnati running back Tion Green.

At 6-foot and 230 pounds, Green is a huge back. He runs like it too. He doesn't create for himself much, but he doesn't pussyfoot between the tackles either. He's a downhill back looking to punch people in the face.

He finished his career with 2,072 yards on 445 carries and 19 touchdowns.

Green will compete with Zach Zenner and Dwayne Washington for a reserve job behind Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick. Mike James is also on the roster.
Click to expand...

How many RB you they normally keep?
 
I went on a couple sites and people keep talking up this DE Alex Barrett kid from SDSU. Anybody know anything about him?
 
Alex Barrett, DE, San Diego State: A two-time All-Mountain West selection, and three-time San Diego State defensive lineman of the year, Barrett led the school with 7.5 sacks as a senior. Undersized at 6-3, 255 pounds, he also lacks any elite athletic traits, running a slower than average 40 and posting mediocre vertical and broad jumps. But the Lions clearly see something because they gave him $36,000 in guarantees to sign, the most of any UDFA.
 
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