SB Nation Seattle - NFL Draft 2012: All 7 Rounds Complete, LaMichael James to S.F., Alameda Ta'amu To Pittsburgh, Chris Polk to Philly

Alameda Ta'amu Signs Contract With Steelers

2012-05-06T14:38:48Z

Former Washington Husky defensive lineman Alameda Ta'amu became the first member of the Pittsburgh Steelers' draft class to sign a contract, the team announced.. The fourth-round pick signed on what was the final day of the club's rookie minicamp.

More on Ta'amu and the contract details after the jump.

The 4-year deal was announced by the organization via twitter, though further terms of the deal were not released:

The first of our draft picks has signed, Fourth Round pick Alameda Ta'amu has agreed to a 4yr contract.
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) May 6, 2012

Ta'amu's quick signing allows him to focus on possibly competing for the starting job, as incumbent NT Casey Hampton will be returning from ACL surgery that ended his season in 2011.\

The 6'3" 350-pound Ta'amu was considered by some to be the best nose tackle available in the draft, according to this post by Pro Football Talk.

A pre-draft scouting report Ta'amu by CBSSports said the following:

A massive man, Ta'Amu is tough to move and can surprise his opponents with his athleticism. He remains raw as a pass rusher and doesn't have the foot speed to chase down ballcarriers. His ability to clog running lanes, however, is a talent highly coveted in the NFL.

Having the contract stuff out of the way will allow Ta'amu to devote his time and effort to living up to those lofty expectations.

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For more on the Washington Huskies visit UW Dawg Pound. For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers visit Behind The Steel Curtain.

LaMichael James Discusses Role With 49ers, Earning His Degree At Oregon

2012-05-02T13:01:15Z

LaMichael James will be an interesting player to follow in the NFL for years to come. A bit undersized, his production with the Oregon Ducks was undeniable and his speed and quickness is something to behold. When the San Francisco 49ers selected James in the second round of last week's 2012 NFL Draft, they did so knowing they were welcoming in a dynamic playmaker to their organization.

James recently spoke on KNBR 680 AM radio in the Bay Area and discussed various topics. The guys at Yahoo! Sports grabbed a few quotes, with these being a few of the more notable ones:

LaMichael James: "I think they're going to use me as an athlete. I can do numerous things, play special teams, run routes out of the back field, run up the middle; I can do anything they ask me to do."

For an offense that struggled to move the ball at times last season -- a season they came a few muffed punts away from a Super Bowl appearance -- you can bet James will see plenty of playing time from day one. He may not be able to be an every-down running back in the pros, but his flexibility and athleticism will be huge for offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

LMJ: "It's always good to have that degree. We're always one snap away and that's true for everybody. You can't play football forever."

This sure is refreshing to hear, isn't it? Most of these kids get tutoring and cheat their way through college, while James clearly took his time at the University of Oregon serious. The 49ers are not only getting a fantastic football player, but also a first-rate individual off the field.

For more on James and the Ducks, check out Addicted To Quack. 49ers fans should check out Niners Nation.

Chris Polk Denies Rumors Of Hip Injury

2012-04-29T03:01:06Z

Former Washington Huskies running back Chris Polk saw his stock drop leading up to the 2012 NFL Draft. Over the weekend, rumors started circling that Polk had a degenerative hip issue. Perhaps as a result of those rumors, Polk went undrafted, but following Saturday's final round, the running back signed a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.

According to Frank Cooney at CBD Sports, Polk denied the rumors after signing with the Eagles.

"I will just have to go out there and show them I have a lot of great football left in me," Polk told NFLDraftScout.com after agreeing to a deal with the Eagles. "I know teams are concerned about my shoulder, but I also heard somebody say something about a degenerative hip and there is just no truth to that. I had labrum surgery on the shoulder a year ago and it didn't slow me down last season."

Hopefully Polk will have plenty of opportunities to fully dispell those rumors and have the last laugh over teams that passed up on him due to hearsay.

For more on the NFL Draft check out SB Nation Seattle's StoryStream. To discuss Polk's signing with Philadelphia Eagles fans, head on over to Bleeding Green Nation. For even more comprehensive coverage of the NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft.

Chris Polk Signs With Philadelphia Eagles As Undrafted Free Agent

2012-04-29T00:40:07Z

Chris Polk signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent on Saturday according to several reports.

#Washington RB Chris Polk to #Eagles and #Stanford WR Chris Owusu to#49ers (via @nfldraftscout) #NFLDraft
— Shane P. Hallam (@ShanePHallam) April 29, 2012

The former Washington Huskies running back will have to prove his worth to the Eagles organization after not being picked in this past weekend's draft.

Polk was considered to be a third or fourth round pick by many draft experts, but his stock went down due to an apparent degenerative shoulder injury. Steve Sarkisian, Polk's former head coach at Washington was caught off guard by the injury news.

Sark on Chris Polk: "I just assumed it would happen(drafted). Some of the reports that came out are news to me. I've never heard that stuff"
— Dave Softy Mahler (@Softykjr) April 28, 2012

The Eagles also drafted running back Bryce Brown out of Kansas State in the seventh round. Brown and Polk will presumably be fighting for a roster spot during training camp.

For more on the NFL Draft check out SB Nation Seattle's StoryStream. To discuss Polk's signing with Philadelphia Eagles fans, head on over to Bleeding Green Nation.

2012 NFL Draft Results: Kellen Moore Signs With Lions as Undrafted Free Agent

2012-04-29T00:16:06Z

Boise St. Broncos quarterback Kellen Moore had a shot at being selected in the 2012 NFL Draft, but after all seven rounds were in the books, there was no team willing to spend a pick on him. Regardless, the native of Prosser, Washington and graduate of Prosser High School was able to land a contract with an NFL team on Saturday, anyway.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported on Saturday that Moore has signed with the Detroit Lions. Moore racked up a 50-3 record as a starter during his time at Boise State, but will be in the depth chart well behind Matthew Stafford, the incumbent Lions' QB. Still, Moore will have the summer (and possibly the fall) to impress the Detroit staff enough to stick around for a while.

For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, visit SB Nation Seattle's storystream. For everything about the draft, visit SBNation's dedicated 2012 NFL Draft hub. For even more comprehensive coverage of the NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft.

NFL Draft 2012: Chris Polk Goes Undrafted, Injury Scares Teams Away

2012-04-28T23:51:11Z

One of the greatest running backs in Washington Huskies football history was not picked in this past weekend's draft. Various reports suggest Polk's shoulder injuries scared teams away from drafting the former Husky.

RT @LevOnUSC: Regarding Chris Polk, Mike Mayock saying some teams took him off their boards b/c of a degenerative shoulder condition.
— ESPN_Pac12blog (@ESPN_Pac12blog) April 28, 2012

After declaring for the draft after this past college football season, Polk was projected as a second to third round draft pick. Polk will now have to sign as an undrafted free agent with an NFL team, however there is no guarantee a team will take a chance on Polk as made evident by this weekend's events.

It is not very often a first-team Pac-12 selection gets passed by in an entire draft. Polk finished with 1,488 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in his senior year.

After not being drafted on Friday, Polk posted the following on his Twitter account:

Keep fueling the flame

2012 NFL Draft: Prosser High School Alum Kellen Moore Goes Undrafted

2012-04-28T23:34:02Z

Kellen Moore wasn't expected to be an early round must-have selection in the 2012 NFL Draft, but the fact that he went unselected through all seven rounds is a surprise to many. The Boise State senior had a strong senior year, posting a QB rating of 175.2, 8.66 yards per attempt, and a 74.3% completion rate.

Moore drew praise for his leadership skills and strength in the mental aspects of the game, but there were questions about his ability and whether or not he could make the step up to the NFL level. Boise tended to dominate their competition in the WAC, leading to questions about whether or not Moore had genuinely been tested. At a shade under 6' tall and 200lbs, it was also doubtful that Moore had the size or strength to excel at the next level.

Moore was the son of long time Prosser High School coach Tom Moore, and in his time at Prosser he set records in completions (787) and passes for touchdown (173). He also set Washington state single-season records in completions (317, junior year), yards (4,600, junior year) and passes for touchdown (67, senior year).

For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, visit SB Nation Seattle's storystream. For a complete list of 2012 NFL Draft results (as they happen, visit SBNation.com. For even more comprehensive coverage of the NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft.

2012 NFL Draft: St. Louis Rams Draft Puyallup-Born Aaron Brown

2012-04-28T21:46:24Z

With the 209th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams have selected linebacker Aaron Brown, who graduated from Puyallup High School in 2007. Brown spent his college years in Hawaii, transferring from Saddleback Community College in California.

A senior, between the 2010 and 2011 seasons Brown collected 123 solo tackles, 9.5 sacks, and six interceptions. In 2011 he was selected for the All-WAC Conference Team and earned the WAC Defensive Player of the Week award after a performance at Idaho where he collected nine tackles and an interception. Brown was projected to go very late in the draft or shop his services as a free agent, so being drafted in the seventh round isn't unexpected. Teams undoubtedly took notice of Brown's 2011 arrest, stemming from an incident at a night club. That saw him suspended for the season opener, but he did start 12 games in the 2011 season.

For all your St. Louis Rams news and analysis, head over to Turf Show Times. For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, visit SB Nation Seattle's storystream. For a complete list of 2012 NFL Draft results as they happen, visit SBNation.com. For even more comprehensive coverage of the NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft.