After a long delay, NFL teams will finally be able to sign undrafted free agents, thanks to the end of the NFL lockout. Unlike most years, players that went undrafted were unable to be signed immediately after the draft in what's become the typical scrum in the hours following the last pick. Instead, thanks to a lengthy lockout, players who went undrafted were placed in a holding pattern, suffering through months of uncertainty. For the Seattle Seahawks, these undrafted players could be an important piece in the rebuilding process Pete Carroll and John Schneider are undertaking.
The Seahawks have clear needs throughout their roster -- needs that could be filled in the long-term by this year's crop of undrafted free agents. While they're not the end-all, be-all of building a roster, some of these players could make an impact in the long-term. It makes the upcoming free agent signings interesting, and an event worth watching for Seahawks fans.
As we know, the Seahawks need help at the quarterback spot, both immediately and for the future. Pat Devlin is the type of player Carroll and Schneider may target in this year's crop of undrafted free agents, allowing the Seahawks to develop a third quarterback in hopes of future returns. Over at Field Gulls, Danny Kelly took a look at Devlin and other free agents, drawing upon the expertise of Rob Rang.
Pat Devlin is going to have a market, there's going to be a lot of clubs out there that are going to be running this West Coast Offense, so this is an example of where Pat Devlin's agent is going to be looking around and wondering what team is my player going to be most likely to be able to earn himself a roster spot."
Kelly goes on to mention Adam Froman, Josh Portis and Adam Weber. All four have been linked to the Seahawks at one time of another, though all have shortcomings that sent them to the undrafted pile. It's clear the Seahawks will be looking for a quarterback when signing undrafted free agents, though each of these four should be considered long-term prospects.
The undrafted free agent signing period is set to begin on Tuesday at 7 a.m. PDT. For a full free agency schedule, head over here.
We'll be tracking what the Seahawks do when the undrafted free agent hunting season opens in this StoryStream. Over at Field Gulls, Danny Kelly will be publishing an impressive array of posts on undrafted free agents, so keep an eye out for those.