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WARHORSE
05-07-2008, 01:52 AM
Drafting a roster spot

Opportunities abound for unselected free agents in this age of salary cap
By Jim Armstrong
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 05/07/2008 12:37:51 AM MDT



http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site36/2008/0506/20080506__20080507_C01_SP07FBNFREE~p2_200.JPG (http://www.denverpost.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=1934762 ) Former CU offensive tackle Tyler Polumbus hits the weights in hopes of making his mark with the Broncos. (Brian Brainerd, The Denver Post )




Tyler Polumbus never knew being overlooked in the NFL draft could be so exciting.
Within minutes of the draft's conclusion, Polumbus' phone started ringing . . . and ringing . . . and ringing. He wasn't deemed worthy of a draft choice, but suddenly he was being pursued by teams throughout the league.
Talk about your surreal moments. The final pick had barely been made and Polumbus, an offensive tackle, found himself talking to Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, who beat Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher to the punch by a few seconds.
"I had Coach Fisher on hold for 10 or 15 minutes while I was talking to Coach Dungy," Polumbus said. "That was a really weird feeling knowing I had another NFL coach on hold. I definitely wasn't prepared for that moment."
So whose sales pitch did Polumbus select? Neither.
The Broncos had called during the draft and Polumbus, who grew up in Denver and played at Colorado, jumped at the chance to join his favorite team. But first he had to let out a huge sigh of relief.
The unusual twists and turns didn't start with the phone calls. For Polumbus, they began in the seventh round, when he went from dreaming of being drafted to hoping beyond hope that he wouldn't be.
"It's a bizarre situation," Polumbus said. "I was praying I wouldn't get picked up. I didn't want to go to a place where I didn't want to be."
For undrafted free agents, it's all about the opportunity, about being in the right place with the right team at the right time. They can honestly say it's not about the money. Polumbus signed for slightly more than $20,000. Former Colorado State quarterback Caleb Hanie, meanwhile, received $5,000 to sign with the Chicago Bears. They should consider themselves fortunate. The St. Louis Rams don't give signing bonuses to undrafted free agents. They'll give them an advance on offseason workout expenses and camp per diems, but that's it.

omac
05-07-2008, 02:38 AM
http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/scoutingreports/ot/tylerpolumbus.html

Height: 6-71/2 | Weight: 312 | 40-Time: 5.23

Strengths:
Has an outstanding frame with plenty of room to add weight..Good technician and displays excellent footwork...Understands positioning and angles..Smart with nice awareness..Quick with decent mobility and balance..Has quite a bit of experience.

Weaknesses:
Could stand to bulk up...Does not have long arms..Lacks a killer instinct and nasty demeanor...Isn't very strong or powerful...Average athleticism...Is not stout at the point of attack...Doesn't get a great push in the run game...Durability is a concern.

Notes:
Father, Tad, lettered in football, basketball and golf (1965-66) and his uncle, Gary, lettered three years in golf and twice made it to the NCAA Championships...Was a three-year starter...Hampered by an ankle sprain in '05 and underwent surgery to relieve a chronic shoulder condition in 2006...Isn't flashy and his physical tools are only average cross the board but he could compete for a roster spot as a backup.

Hopefully, this guy turns out to be a steal. :cheers:

gobroncsnv
05-07-2008, 06:58 AM
I've not really followed him, but if the "weaknesses" mentioned above are accurate, why is everybody calling him? Those don't exactly sound like a glowing report for an NFL lineman.

TXBRONC
05-07-2008, 07:09 AM
I've not really followed him, but if the "weaknesses" mentioned above are accurate, why is everybody calling him? Those don't exactly sound like a glowing report for an NFL lineman.


Most of the weaknesses can be worked on. The only for sure that can't be is him having short arms.

CoachChaz
05-07-2008, 07:15 AM
I disagree. You can't coach a killer instinct. That's something you either have or don't have. You can try to develop it, but it becomes an act at some point.

Brand
05-07-2008, 08:47 AM
He may be a PS player for a year to develop what he can and take a shot at the following year for a backup spot. Sometimes the write ups are less intense in meanings than what some interpret them. Write up your honest strength and weaknesses from your employer's point of view and see how unflatttering it can be.

Perhaps your short arms mean you have to sit closer to the dinner table.....

NameUsedBefore
05-07-2008, 08:55 AM
Weaknesses:
Could stand to bulk up...Does not have long arms..Lacks a killer instinct and nasty demeanor...Isn't very strong or powerful...Average athleticism...Is not stout at the point of attack...Doesn't get a great push in the run game...Durability is a concern.


Not having long arms seems like it could be a detriment at tackle... Think of a guy like Dumervill vs. a guy with short arms... BTW, what's with the "lack of a killer instinct"? I swear I see that 'weakness' commented on every o-lineman.

LRtagger
05-07-2008, 09:07 AM
I used to have killer instinct

http://media.teamxbox.com/dailyposts/mostwanted/kigold.jpg

NameUsedBefore
05-07-2008, 09:19 AM
I used to have killer instinct

http://media.teamxbox.com/dailyposts/mostwanted/kigold.jpg

That was a badass game. The ninja guy, the ice dude, and the wolf were the shiz.

omac
05-07-2008, 11:00 AM
Not having long arms seems like it could be a detriment at tackle... Think of a guy like Dumervill vs. a guy with short arms... BTW, what's with the "lack of a killer instinct"? I swear I see that 'weakness' commented on every o-lineman.

Maybe if they had killer instinct .... they'd be defensive linemen. :D

underrated29
05-07-2008, 11:04 AM
i would have to say if you are weak, or in his case not as strong as he should be, or as his frame needs to be, then yeah you probably arent going to go out there to kill the other guys because you know you cant hold your own. So then you must resort to finess in order to keep up with your assignments.

I think if he gets stronger, which i am sure he will, he will get a killer instinct once he realizes "hey i can kick some ass, lets go do this."

Of course he still has to have the talent and not just strength and size, but we will see.

a 6'7 310 lb dude with room to add another 15-20 is pretty enticing thats for sure.

Requiem / The Dagda
05-07-2008, 11:12 AM
He went undrafted for a reason, he sucked. They could have had him. Heck, trade us a first-rounder for him and he's all yours.

broncosaurus
05-07-2008, 11:24 AM
Sounds like Pears

topscribe
05-07-2008, 11:24 AM
He went undrafted for a reason, he sucked. They could have had him. Heck, trade us a first-rounder for him and he's all yours.

Yes. Matt Lepsis went undrafted for a reason. So did Rod Smith. Sharpe was
passed over until the 7th round for a reason, not to mention TD. How about
Mecklenburg, a 12th rounder?--Which means he wouldn't even be an aferthought
today.

This isn't a case of just Shanny going after him. I would consider Dungy's and
Fisher's opinions, added to his, pretty influential.

That is not to say Polumbus is going to make it. But I'm not about to throw
him under the bus until I see how he does on the professional field.

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topscribe
05-07-2008, 11:26 AM
Maybe if they had killer instinct .... they'd be defensive linemen. :D

:whoknows: Tell that to Nalen and Zimmerman . . .

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Ziggy
05-07-2008, 12:05 PM
People sure put a lot of stock into pre-draft scouting reports. Does anyone think that Terrell Davis's scouting report was glowing? How about Shannon Sharpe, Matt Lepsis, Tom Nalen, WIllie Parker, Tony Romo, Antonio Gates, yadda yadda yadda. All of thier pre-draft scouting reports had a lot of negatives on them. Those are just someones opinion of that player. After that player succeeds, these reports are nowhere to be found. I tried my best to find a pre-draft scouting report on Terrell Davis. Couldn't do it. It may be out there, but I can't find one.

I think this kid sits on the PS for a year or two, and either develops or busts. Either way, it's a tiny investment to make for a 6'7" , 312 pound offensive lineman. You can teach a lot of things, but height isn't one of them. Let's give him a chance before we start picking him apart because of someone else's opinion. The fact that he wasn't drafted does tell us something, but so does the fact that 3 of the top coaches in league came calling during and after the draft.

Cugel
05-07-2008, 12:06 PM
Yes. Matt Lepsis went undrafted for a reason. So did Rod Smith. Sharpe was
passed over until the 7th round for a reason, not to mention TD. How about
Mecklenburg, a 12th rounder?--Which means he wouldn't even be an aferthought
today.

This isn't a case of just Shanny going after him. I would consider Dungy's and
Fisher's opinions, added to his, pretty influential.

That is not to say Polumbus is going to make it. But I'm not about to throw
him under the bus until I see how he does on the professional field.

-----

Dear Top:

You're making too much sense.

You'll have to stop it now! We all want more rants and to be able to call Polumbus a "useless scrub" before even his first training camp!

Yours sincerely,

Adolescent fanboys everywhere

:beer:

topscribe
05-07-2008, 01:01 PM
Dear Top:

You're making too much sense.

You'll have to stop it now! We all want more rants and to be able to call Polumbus a "useless scrub" before even his first training camp!

Yours sincerely,

Adolescent fanboys everywhere

:beer:

Sunny gun, it's good to see you hanging around, Cug!

Gonna stay a while? :D

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LRtagger
05-07-2008, 01:13 PM
That was a badass game. The ninja guy, the ice dude, and the wolf were the shiz.


Hell yea it was!

ULTRA COMBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Requiem / The Dagda
05-07-2008, 02:07 PM
Let's give him a chance before we start picking him apart because of someone else's opinion.

It's actually my own opinion based off seeing him play.


The fact that he wasn't drafted does tell us something,

Yeah, that he wasn't worthy of being drafted.


but so does the fact that 3 of the top coaches in league came calling during and after the draft.

If that's the way you spin it. You could spin it and say there were a bunch of teams who weren't interested in him, or just make the argument that everyone is always interested in adding more offensive line depth.

I look forward to him competing here, maybe he'll overchieve. If he can serve as a back-up, that'd be great -- but I've grown tired of the pimping of late-round and undrafted players that have gone on for about five years now and more often then not they amount to nothing.

topscribe
05-07-2008, 02:33 PM
It's actually my own opinion based off seeing him play.

Well, we have Shanahan's, Dungy's, and Fisher's opinions, and now we have yours.


Yeah, that he wasn't worthy of being drafted.Right. As I implied, Lepsis wasn't worth drafting, either. Neither was Rod
Smith, Rich Jackson, Bob Swenson, Goose Gonsoulin, Joe Rizzo, Kurt Warner,
Willie Wood, Warren Moon, John Randle, Joe Jacoby, Tom Ashworth, Rick
Dennison, Tom Rouen, Cecil Sapp, et al.


If that's the way you spin it. You could spin it and say there were a bunch of teams who weren't interested in him, or just make the argument that everyone is always interested in adding more offensive line depth.Or you could spin it that three outstanding coaches were interested in
Polumbus. I would enjoy seeing you walking up to them and telling them
that they're all wet because you haven't heard from the rest of the league. :laugh:


I look forward to him competing here, maybe he'll overchieve. If he can serve as a back-up, that'd be great -- but I've grown tired of the pimping of late-round and undrafted players that have gone on for about five years now and more often then not they amount to nothing.Get used to it. That's what free agency is all about. They look for the
diamond and throw away the rough. That's how all the guys I mentioned
were discovered. I'm sure the process will continue will into your advanced
years. :coffee:


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omac
05-07-2008, 08:20 PM
People sure put a lot of stock into pre-draft scouting reports. Does anyone think that Terrell Davis's scouting report was glowing? How about Shannon Sharpe, Matt Lepsis, Tom Nalen, WIllie Parker, Tony Romo, Antonio Gates, yadda yadda yadda. All of thier pre-draft scouting reports had a lot of negatives on them. Those are just someones opinion of that player. After that player succeeds, these reports are nowhere to be found. I tried my best to find a pre-draft scouting report on Terrell Davis. Couldn't do it. It may be out there, but I can't find one.

I think this kid sits on the PS for a year or two, and either develops or busts. Either way, it's a tiny investment to make for a 6'7" , 312 pound offensive lineman. You can teach a lot of things, but height isn't one of them. Let's give him a chance before we start picking him apart because of someone else's opinion. The fact that he wasn't drafted does tell us something, but so does the fact that 3 of the top coaches in league came calling during and after the draft.

Yeah, sometimes I do look for old scouting reports too. Sometimes, I'm able to access them using the cache option in google; other times, it's on a team's forums, when someone brought up the topic ... found the one of David Carr.

The reports are usually pretty accurate when they mention just facts; they become less and less accurate the more opinions the scouts inject. They are a passable preview for people who've never seen the guy play, but watching the guy play is a much better indicator.

I also like his physical stats; if he can be developed, he can be a monster on the line. If not, we got him cheap. That's what's great with undrafted rookies ... no risk at all. :cheers:

TXBRONC
05-07-2008, 08:43 PM
Yes. Matt Lepsis went undrafted for a reason. So did Rod Smith. Sharpe was
passed over until the 7th round for a reason, not to mention TD. How about
Mecklenburg, a 12th rounder?--Which means he wouldn't even be an aferthought
today.

This isn't a case of just Shanny going after him. I would consider Dungy's and
Fisher's opinions, added to his, pretty influential.

That is not to say Polumbus is going to make it. But I'm not about to throw
him under the bus until I see how he does on the professional field.

-----


Mark Schlereth was a 10th round pick by the Redskins in 1989.

Rick
05-07-2008, 09:01 PM
Some stuff I found on TD.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-18893107.html




In high school, if he hadn't volunteered as a junior to be a 190-pound nose guard, he wouldn't have played much. As a senior, he was such a good blocker that he spent most of his time at fullback, even though he was the team's best runner.

At Long Beach State, where he was recruited by George Allen, he was about to assume a starring role as a sophomore. But the program, unable to overcome Allen's death after the 1990 season, folded a year later. Davis wound up playing three years at Georgia, where he tried to be the next in a line of great Bulldogs backs, following Herschel Walker, Rodney Hampton and Garrison Hearst. During his junior season, the team changed its offensive emphasis, relying heavily on the passing of Eric Zeier. The next year, a preseason hamstring injury became increasingly worse and he wound up missing three games, much to the chagrin of thencoach Ray Goff. One day, he heard Gofftell a pro scout "Hell be an OK back, but don't expect much from him."

Not that the NFL differed with Goff. One scouting report said: "Tweener. No wiggle. Questionable toughness and durability in the past. Backup guy. Average blocker, average runner. Don't want him."The Broncos hardly were dazzled, either; expending a sixth-round pick isn't exactly a huge vote of confidence. But they had seen enough from his play at the Blue-Gray Game to at least give him a shot.

"We spend all this money on scouting, and he makes us look like jackasses," says Billy Devaney, the Chargers' director of player personnel, with a laugh. "You see a different guy right now than you saw in college. And what is incredible is that he did it right away; he didn't need time to develop."

Davis could and should be bitter about his draft slight, considering his production in the pros. But funny thing is, he is just as surprised about his success as all those embarrassed teams that selected 20 running backs ahead of him. By the end of his Georgia career, he was mulling the final steps he would need to take toward a career in accounting.

"I have always been in these situations where things didn't look good, where I couldn't see a light at the end of the tunnel," he says now. "I figured football was over for me when I finished high school. Same with college. I was never a blue-chipper, I was never the guy everyone knew to be the best. I can't explain what has happened. But maybe for the first time, I realized there were no more levels in football for me to try. If I didn't make the NFL, there wasn't a higher league waiting that I could move to."

The same traits that allowed him to move from last on the depth chart as a rookie--"If there had been 20 backs, he would have been 20th," Broncos running backs coach Bobby Turner says--to a starting spot ahead of Glyn Milburn by the end of training camp continue to impress the Broncos. At 5-11,200 pounds, Davis is not particularly fast (4.6 in the 40), but he has pulled away from defensive backs on some of his long runs. He reads blocks exceptionally well and can explode through the smallest of holes. His style isn't fancy; he is economy in motion, a predominantly straightahead runner who excels in picking up extra yards with his drive and strength. He also has exceptionally soft hands, making him a valuable receiver (27 catches for 249 yards this season). He is smart, makes few mistakes and is very coachable, with a knowledge of coach Mike Shanahan's complex offense that belies his inexperience.

He also is the team's best run blocker. "I respect his blocking more than anything else he does," Sharpe says. "I've seen a lot of other featured backs take a down off when they had to block. Not him." And to think, Davis was convinced through much of his first camp that he would make the team--as a practice-squad player.

Earlier this season, Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer was impressed enough to call him maybe the best back in the league. "What he brings is sort of the coming running style," Raiders coach Mike White says. "An aggressive, hard-running style. He's not going to dance around so much. I call them violent runners, and that is what he is."

Requiem / The Dagda
05-07-2008, 10:06 PM
Well, we have Shanahan's, Dungy's, and Fisher's opinions, and now we have yours.

Boy Top, you sure do! Read a little more carefully -- it so happens that myself and the coaches kinda have the same opinion.


Right. As I implied, Lepsis wasn't worth drafting, either. Neither was Rod
Smith, Rich Jackson, Bob Swenson, Goose Gonsoulin, Joe Rizzo, Kurt Warner,
Willie Wood, Warren Moon, John Randle, Joe Jacoby, Tom Ashworth, Rick
Dennison, Tom Rouen, Cecil Sapp, et al.

You're overwhelming me with your knowledge of undrafted players who contributed admirably to their teams. Stop, it's hurting my head. :rolleyes:


Or you could spin it that three outstanding coaches were interested in
Polumbus. I would enjoy seeing you walking up to them and telling them
that they're all wet because you haven't heard from the rest of the league. :laugh:

Three coaches that didn't think he was worth getting drafted, but felt he was worth trying out. Of course I'd try the person out if "my" respective team had a need at tackle. It's common sense -- stop reading into this situation more than you already are.


Get used to it. That's what free agency is all about. They look for the
diamond and throw away the rough. That's how all the guys I mentioned
were discovered. I'm sure the process will continue will into your advanced
years. :coffee:

The people you mentioned are once in a life time finds (the good ones, not some of the average joe's you listed) and are rare in free agency. Trying to paint the picture that Polumbus could work out based on the success of other free agents is a real poor way to trying and make an argument.

topscribe
05-07-2008, 11:14 PM
Boy Top, you sure do! Read a little more carefully -- it so happens that myself and the coaches kinda have the same opinion.



You're overwhelming me with your knowledge of undrafted players who contributed admirably to their teams. Stop, it's hurting my head. :rolleyes:



Three coaches that didn't think he was worth getting drafted, but felt he was worth trying out. Of course I'd try the person out if "my" respective team had a need at tackle. It's common sense -- stop reading into this situation more than you already are.



The people you mentioned are once in a life time finds (the good ones, not some of the average joe's you listed) and are rare in free agency. Trying to paint the picture that Polumbus could work out based on the success of other free agents is a real poor way to trying and make an argument.

Your whole post was about me.

Your arrogance underwhelms me . . . :coffee:

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TXBRONC
05-08-2008, 07:22 AM
Your whole post was about me.

Your arrogance underwhelms me . . . :coffee:

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Isn't nice to be loved? ;)

Kaylore
05-08-2008, 10:43 AM
Get used to it. That's what free agency is all about. They look for the
diamond and throw away the rough. That's how all the guys I mentioned
were discovered. I'm sure the process will continue will into your advanced
years. :coffee:


I'm totally going to nit-pick you. :D

Diamond in the rough does not refer to a diamond in rough dirt, as most people think. A diamond in the rough is a diamond that is uncut and so looks like simple quartz, so rough is a condition of the diamond itself.

http://www.diamondtutorials.com/images/rough_diamonds.jpg

Even these have been cleaned. When a diamond comes out of a kimberlite mine it is dirty and looks like a bunch of pebbles. It is only when it is cleaned, cut and polished that it looks like the diamonds we see and admire.

Why mention this? Since the saying is misunderstood, the meaning is misunderstood as well. Must people think it means a valuable thing among worthlesness. In actuality someone who is a diamond in the rough is someone with a great deal of potential but who are in need of discipline, training and reform. In football you would say it's a raw player with a ton of athletic ability or "major upside." :idea:

underrated29
05-08-2008, 10:50 AM
I'm totally going to nit-pick you. :D

Diamond in the rough does not refer to a diamond in rough dirt, as most people think. A diamond in the rough is a diamond that is uncut and so looks like simple quartz, so rough is a condition of the diamond itself.

http://www.diamondtutorials.com/images/rough_diamonds.jpg

Even these have been cleaned. When a diamond comes out of a kimberlite mine it is dirty and looks like a bunch of pebbles. It is only when it is cleaned, cut and polished that it looks like the diamonds we see and admire.

Why mention this? Since the saying is misunderstood, the meaning is misunderstood as well. Must people think it means a valuable thing among worthlesness. In actuality someone who is a diamond in the rough is someone with a great deal of potential but who are in need of discipline, training and reform. In football you would say it's a raw player with a ton of athletic ability or "major upside." :idea:




Thanks for that insight kay.

Then i would like to be put on the Diamond in the rough train for this guy. All he might need is a little strength and polishing and we might have ourselves a diamond.

I hope.

Cugel
05-08-2008, 10:51 AM
Sunny gun, it's good to see you hanging around, Cug!

Gonna stay a while? :D

-----

I got bored with the other boards. Tired of arguing with adolescent idiots. I noticed that although the number of posters over here is much, much lower, the number of fools is also much, much lower.

After one poster over there asked rhetorically "who over the age of 21 hangs out on message boards?" I had to ask myself a question: are the vast majority of these fools just high-school students or college freshmen or something?

No wonder it seems like sledding uphill to find any sense there! :laugh:

NightTrainLayne
05-08-2008, 11:02 AM
I'm totally going to nit-pick you. :D

Diamond in the rough does not refer to a diamond in rough dirt, as most people think. A diamond in the rough is a diamond that is uncut and so looks like simple quartz, so rough is a condition of the diamond itself.

http://www.diamondtutorials.com/images/rough_diamonds.jpg

Even these have been cleaned. When a diamond comes out of a kimberlite mine it is dirty and looks like a bunch of pebbles. It is only when it is cleaned, cut and polished that it looks like the diamonds we see and admire.

Why mention this? Since the saying is misunderstood, the meaning is misunderstood as well. Must people think it means a valuable thing among worthlesness. In actuality someone who is a diamond in the rough is someone with a great deal of potential but who are in need of discipline, training and reform. In football you would say it's a raw player with a ton of athletic ability or "major upside." :idea:

Well-said.

This still applies well, in that someone who "finds" a diamond in the rough is keen enough to see the value/potential/beauty in an object (or in this case player) that others fail to see, or ignore.

In that sense, Top still makes a good point.

Kaylore
05-08-2008, 11:37 AM
Well-said.

This still applies well, in that someone who "finds" a diamond in the rough is keen enough to see the value/potential/beauty in an object (or in this case player) that others fail to see, or ignore.

In that sense, Top still makes a good point.

Oh I know. I wasn't saying he was wrong. I was just nit-picking.

topscribe
05-08-2008, 01:11 PM
I got bored with the other boards. Tired of arguing with adolescent idiots. I noticed that although the number of posters over here is much, much lower, the number of fools is also much, much lower.


Not to mention the IQ level. :pound:

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topscribe
05-08-2008, 01:12 PM
Oh I know. I wasn't saying he was wrong. I was just nit-picking.



Yeah, but what did you say? :confused:



:D



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