Jeff Pasquino
Footballguy
Tis another football draft coming on Monday – just two days after the conclusion of the NFL Draft. The United Football League will hold its 2011 UFL Draft on Monday where the five teams will take 10 players each from any available player not under contract by the NFL. That includes – and is most likely directed towards – undrafted free agent talent coming out of college.
So why should NFL fans care? Well, if you were hoping that your team would be able to add find some undrafted rookie who might turn out to be the next Tony Romo, Miles Austin or Legarrette Blount, the chances of that just went way down thanks to the lockout and the UFL Draft. Players who were not selected in the NFL Draft normally sign with the teams who want them and afford them the best chances to make the team right after that final pick on Saturday evening, helping all 32 teams build up rosters to 80 players as they get ready for the next round of OTAs. Those chances go way down once the UFL gets their hands on these players.
It is unclear as to how the two leagues will work together (or against) one another should an NFL team want to get a drafted UFL player on their roster after the lockout ends. That works against the NFL, the teams and the players themselves if their dream is to be an NFL player. What is clear is that the UFL is maneuvering to make good use of the NFL’s lockout status by moving their draft up to the Monday after the NFL Draft. Their 2010 draft was in June, long after undrafted free agents had signed with prospective NFL teams. With the 2011 UFL Draft coming on Monday May 2nd, sixty players will be added to UFL rosters and then the next day “UFL Free Agency” begins, meaning even more undrafted NFL prospects will join the UFL.
So if you had any hopes of your favorite NFL team adding a few lottery ticket players after the draft, the odds just got a lot tougher of not only finding that next diamond in the rough, but even getting the opportunity to get him on an NFL roster.
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