The UFA Thread

So far this is all I know of...the guy you named is also on the list...

Undrafted Free Agents:

Kyle Shotwell, LB, Cal-Poly

Eddie Keele, OL, B.Y.U.

Chris McFoy, WR, U.S.C.
 
Shotwell won the Buck Buchanan award as the top defensive player at the I-AA level. A guy like Justin Durant, also I-AA, got invited to the combine for some reason and goes in the second round while Shotwell goes undrafted. Doesn't figure. Shotwell ran a 4.5 at his pro day, too.

He also had the most tackles in the Shrine game and won the Tillman Award there.
 
Huh.

Can't hurt to bring him in...

My boy Joe Newton got snagged by the Seahawks...I was hoping he could be our Miller backup.
 
MasterRaider said:
Kyle Shotwell, LB, Cal-Poly
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Here's an article from the Cal Poly student newspaper, The Mustang Daily:

Shotwell shines at Shrine Game, wins Tillman Award

By: Tristan Aird
Issue date: 1/23/07 Section: Sports

It was a memorable week for Cal Poly senior football player Kyle Shotwell.

As one of only four players not from a Division I-A school to play in the 82nd annual East-West Shrine Game on Saturday, the linebacker led all players with seven tackles (five solo). He was also voted by the all-star game's coaches and selection committee as the Pat Tillman Award winner for showing character and work ethic.

"I was pretty happy with my performance," Shotwell said Sunday in a phone interview. "I thought that I definitely did a good job out there."

Shotwell helped the West beat the East 21-3 in front of 23,554 fans at Reliant Stadium in Houston. The game was nationally televised on ESPN.

But more importantly, he showed versatility in playing all over the second level of the defense.

After racking up 122 tackles and seven sacks to lead Cal Poly to a 7-4 record this past season, Shotwell took home the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in I-AA. That productivity came while playing virtually the entire season at middle linebacker.

But the 6-foot-1, 235-pound Shotwell started Saturday at weakside linebacker and made the transition smoothly.

"This week I was playing the 'will' linebacker," Shotwell said. "I fit into that position pretty well. I actually really enjoyed it. I could play outside linebacker."

Along with the Senior and Hula bowls, the East-West Shrine Game is crucial for players such as Shotwell trying to raise their stock in the eyes of scouts for the NFL Draft, which will be held this year from April 28 to 29. The last two winners of the Buchanan Award - Cal Poly linebacker Jordan Beck (2004) and defensive end Chris Gocong (2005) - parlayed performances in the East-West Shrine Game into becoming third-round draft choices of the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles, respectively.

Shotwell said roughly 300 scouts watched the teams practice from Jan. 15 to 17. At the end of that process was a scrimmage, in which he returned an interception for a touchdown.

"That's like a culmination of the practice," Shotwell said. "I did pretty well at the scrimmage."

Although the West's head coach was Dan Reeves, who played or coached in an NFL-record nine Super Bowls, Shotwell said he spent more time working with West linebackers coach Mike Singletary.

Singletary, the assistant head coach and linebackers coach of the San Francisco 49ers, is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and widely considered the best middle linebacker in the modern NFL era for his playing days with the Chicago Bears from 1981-92.

"He was in my ear quite a bit," Shotwell said of Singletary. "He was pretty tough on me but I was told by multiple people at the end of the week that he thinks a lot of me."

The No. 1 aspect Shotwell said he learned from Singletary is the intensity necessary to play at the next level.

"The majority of people can't get away with being a good athlete," Shotwell said. "It's the guy who's going to be intense."

Shotwell said his biggest strength at this point is the ability to get to the football in a hurry and wrap up.

As for an area to improve, Shotwell said he has to remind himself not to try to do too much.

"What I'd like to work on is my ability to get off blocks," he said. "There was one play where I tried to take the fullback on and make the tackle, and at that level, it just doesn't work."

Shotwell's roommate during the week was USC outside linebacker Dallas Sartz, who racked up 70 tackles and seven sacks this season.

"We got along really well," Shotwell said. "(Sartz) actually follows Cal Poly football because he has a lot of friends who go to Cal Poly."

So early in the draft process, it is unclear when Shotwell is projected to possibly be selected.

Some draft Web sites, however, such as NFLDraftScout.com, have Shotwell's stock on the rise. He is ranked as the No. 30 small-school prospect by DraftShowcase.com and is listed as a "small-school sleeper" by DraftDaddy.com.

Dave Thompson, one of FFToolbox.com's draft columnists, wrote of Shotwell: "A bit undersized for linebacker by NFL standard but clearly can get the job done."
Shotwell was interviewed last week by representatives of the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore uses a 3-4 base defense similar to Cal Poly's double-eagle flex scheme, which goes from a 3-4 to a 5-2 front during the course of a game.

Shotwell's agent is Ryan Tollner, whose Rep1 Sports Group boasts clients such as Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Washington Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell, Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle Leonard Davis, Oakland Raiders linebacker Kirk Morrison and Beck, among others.

The East-West Shrine Game is played to raise money and awareness for 22 North America-based Shriner Hospitals, which provide free burn and orthopedic care to children. It has raised more than $14 million and led to treatment for more than 750,000.

Shotwell had the opportunity to interact with and sign autographs for several of the hospitalized children during the week.

"It was an eye-opening experience," Shotwell said. "It made me feel extremely blessed for what I have. It breaks your heart to see kids like that, but it's inspirational. They're the true heroes. They're fighters, warriors and it's really inspiring to see."
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And Cal Poly ain't hyphenated, y'all... we're technically California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. One John Madden went here.
 
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YodasBeast said:
Anyone got a link to the UDFA's picked up?
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I wish. Seems there's never a definitive source to count on.

NFL Draft Scout has three 40 times that this kid has run, 4.49, 4.58, 4.65. So he has the wheels, anyways.

OVERVIEW
The Mustangs appear to be starting a tradition of producing standout small college defenders. During the past three seasons, the school has produced the Buck Buchanan Award winner, given to the top defensive player in the NCAA Division I-AA ranks.

Linebacker Jordan Beck captured the award in 2004 and defensive end Chris Gocong won it in 2005, making Cal-Poly the first school to win back-to-back Buchanan Awards since linebacker Dexter Coakley of Appalachian State (1995-96) earned the award in consecutive seasons. With Shotwell garnering 2006 accolades, the school now boasts the most recipients in the history of that award.

A member of the National Honor Society at Dos Pueblos High School, Shotwell earned Channel League Defensive MVP, All-CIF-Southern Section Division IV, All-Santa Barbara County and Los Angeles Times' All-Section Team honors as a linebacker and running back. He played in Santa Barbara County All-Star Game, earning defensive MVP honors.

As a senior, Shotwell led the Chargers to an 11-3 record and the CIF-Southern Section Division IV championship game in 2001, losing to Cal-Poly teammate Matt McCormick and San Luis Obispo High. On offense, he rushed for 1,089 yards and 17 touchdowns and had 19 receptions for 227 yards his final season. He also returned eight kickoffs for 133 yards and made 138 tackles with two interceptions and forced two fumbles.

Shotwell rejected a scholarship offer to the U.S. Naval Academy before choosing to attend Cal-Poly in 2002. He spent the season on the scout team while honing his musical skills, playing guitar and serving as the lead singer of a rock and roll band, Kyle Shotwell and the Void. A member of football team's bible study and Block P, he appeared in 11 games as a reserve linebacker in 2003, recording 24 tackles (13 solos) with a sack, three stops for losses and a fumble recovery.

Shotwell started nine of 11 games in 2004, lining up early in the season at middle linebacker before shifting to weak-side outside linebacker for his final eight appearances. He finished second on the team with 88 tackles (55 solos), adding four sacks and 7½ stops behind the line of scrimmage. He also picked off two passes, caused three fumbles and recovered two others, advancing one 39 yards.

With Beck having graduated, Shotwell shifted to middle linebacker in 2005. He earned All-American and All-Great West Football Conference honors, as he set the school single-season record (also league mark) with 158 tackles (71 solos). He produced five sacks with 13½ stops for losses. He also caused two fumbles and picked off two passes.

The Buchanan Award winner added All-American and All-Great West honors again as a senior in 2006. He totaled a team-high 122 tackles (62 solos) with seven sacks and tied for the national lead with 21 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He caused two fumbles, recovered another, deflected two passes and advanced a lateraled interception 65 yards for a touchdown.

In 46 games at Cal-Poly, Shotwell started 33 times. He ranks second in school history with 392 tackles (201 solos) and 45½ stops for losses totaling 185 yards. He finished eighth all-time with 17 sacks for minus-124 yards and deflected nine passes. He returned four interceptions for 89 yards (22.3 avg.) and a touchdown, adding 39 yards on two fumble recoveries. He also caused seven fumbles.


ANALYSIS
Positives: Has a developing frame with good chest thickness, muscular arms and legs, tight abdomen and thick thighs … Fierce competitor with the quickness and range to drop back in pass coverage and the strength to come up and split double teams at the line of scrimmage … Shows above average balance, body control and agility when keeping plays in front of him … Makes all the calls and shows the field alertness and vision to easily see pre-snap movement … Despite lacking ideal height, he is stout and leveraged at the point of attack, showing the strength to stack and control blocks … Alert and very active keying and diagnosing the plays … Takes on blocks with aggression, showing the proper hand technique to prevent linemen from locking on and walling him off … Very physical when taking on the tight ends, delivering crunching hits to reroute his man away from the play … Has the foot agility and hip swerve to redirect and close from the outside … Gets a good jump on the ball due to his instincts and his pure speed highlights his range, as he consistently makes plays from sideline-to-sideline … Displays a strong hand punch and good reflexes to pick off the deflected pass … Very disruptive blitzer who powers through blocks and has the sudden burst needed to close on the quarterback … Shows the lateral agility to flow with the play, staying low in his stance to extend his arms, wrap and secure the ball carrier near the line of scrimmage … Excels in press coverage, possessing the strength to easily jam the receivers … Drops back decisively in the zone, whether using a side or a backpedal … Shows good ball anticipation skills and has developed good rip-and-swim moves to generate a quick outside blitz … Very intelligent, both on the field and in the classroom … Has rare speed for a player his size, demonstrating the range to stay with the play on deep routes … Delivers a solid hand jolt to maintain separation knifing through traffic and has an explosive closing burst to disrupt the quarterback in the pocket … Looks natural in handling the switch-offs in the zone, possessing the quickness (4.54 seconds in the 40-yard dash) of a defensive back … Could possibly shift to strong safety at the next level (if a team is concerned about his lack of ideal height) … Contributes well on special teams, showing the speed needed to get down field and break up the protection.

Negatives: Has experience at the weak-side and middle linebacker position, but does not have the ideal height or bulk to take on the more physical blockers in the professional ranks without getting washed out of the play … Has strong hands, but needs to use them better to protect himself (sometimes allows the blocker to get into his body) … Has good vision and instincts, but will anticipate and guess on a few plays, especially when having to work through a crowd … Has the frame to add more weight without it impacting his speed, but might lose some of his power base if asked to trim down for a possible move to the secondary … Good blitzer, but needs to be more consistent using his arm-under action in attempts to escape blockers.

Compares To: Will Witherspoon, St. Louis Rams … Like Witherspoon, Shotwell has experience and talent to play a variety of positions. In a Cover-2 or 3-4 alignment, he could be an effective blitzer coming from the middle, but in a classic 4-3 set-up, he might lack the bulk and size to play over the center's head … However, with his quickness and range, he could be a nice second-day draft steal as a weak-side linebacker … One of the fastest risers in the 2007 draft linebacker class, look for Shotwell to force his way into the lineup before long.


INJURY REPORT
2007: Bothered by hamstring tightness during Pro Day agility tests in late March.


AGILITY TESTS
Campus: 4.52 in the 40-yard dash … 2.63 20-yard dash … 1.54 10-yard dash … Bench pressed 225 pounds 23 times … 4.36 20-yard shuttle … 6.96 three-cone drill … 35½-inch vertical jump … 10-foot-1 broad jump.

Combine: Did not receive an invitation.


HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Dos Pueblos (Santa Barbara, Calif.) High School, playing football for head coach Jeff Uyesaka … A member of the National Honor Society, Shotwell earned Channel League Defensive MVP, All-CIF-Southern Section Division IV, All-Santa Barbara County and Los Angeles Times' All-Section Team honors as a linebacker and running back … Played in Santa Barbara County All-Star Game, earning defensive MVP honors … As a senior, Shotwell led the Chargers to an 11-3 record and the CIF-Southern Section Division IV championship game in 2001, losing to Cal-Poly teammate Matt McCormick and San Luis Obispo High … On offense, he rushed for 1,089 yards and 17 touchdowns and had 19 receptions for 227 yards his final season … Also returned eight kickoffs for 133 yards and made 138 tackles with two interceptions and forced two fumbles.


PERSONAL
Political Science major … Plays the guitar and is the lead singer of a rock and roll band, Kyle Shotwell and the Void … Member of football team's bible study and Block P … Brother, Ryan, is a teammate and starting defensive end at Cal-Poly (2005-present) … Son of Cynthia and Steven Shotwell … Father played football at California, Berkeley (1979-83) … Born March 29, 1984 in Santa Barbara, Calif.
 
NFL Draft Scout has less to say about Eddie Keele, but it's interesting, nonetheless:

This is from the Desert Morning News (paraphrase):

Keele mised his senior year, blew out an ACL 6 months ago. So he shows up at the BYU Pro Day, ran a 5.08 at 6'5", 303, and did 43 reps. Also showed off his deep snapping skills (Might be his best shot). Playd left tackles at BYU.

NFLDS has him as the #28 tackle.

I have a theory as to why this guy lifted so well, as 43 reps would have been tops at the combine. He's overaged. Served a two year mission, and reshirted at BYU.
 
So if Keele doesn't blow out his knee and instead finishes his 3rd year as a starter and shows up at the combine and puts up 43 reps then runs a 5.10 forty were would he have gone in the draft?
 
Banter said:
So if Keele doesn't blow out his knee and instead finishes his 3rd year as a starter and shows up at the combine and puts up 43 reps then runs a 5.10 forty were would he have gone in the draft?
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An exceptional question. I think he may have just gotten lost in the shuffle. At the Pro Day, it was mostly scouts, and a couple QB coaches, to see Beck.

I'll tell you one thing, he shows up athe combine, and puts up 43, he gets drafted, period. Especially coming from BYU, you know he can pass block.
 
Some DTs still out there.

Joe Anoai, David Patterson, Louis Leonard and Walter Thomas.

Brent Curvey picked up by the Bengals.
 
No link but we signed Kenny Patton (CB) Hawaii

Missed most of the year with a broken collarbone, but fast with some serious jumping ability...
 
massraider said:
An exceptional question. I think he may have just gotten lost in the shuffle. At the Pro Day, it was mostly scouts, and a couple QB coaches, to see Beck.

I'll tell you one thing, he shows up athe combine, and puts up 43, he gets drafted, period. Especially coming from BYU, you know he can pass block.
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I watch all the BYU games and can tell you that Keele was their best lineman over the past two seasons. He's a good combination of power/finesse and fairly agile. blew out the knee and draft stock plummetted. i'd say he would have been a mid-round projection if not for the injury. i'd love to see him battle back and make the team, homerism aside - we need more quality lineman.
 
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