Saints Saints record on UDFA's making final roster (in the Sean Payton era: 2006-2019) (1 Viewer)

ndcc

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If you consider that some UDFA's we brought into camp were "stolen" off the P/S or didn't clear waivers... our scouting and coaching staff have done a fantastic job (especially in the last few years):

2006:
Jamal Branch, Keith Joseph, Lance Moore, Steve Weatherford

2007:
Chris Barclay, McKinley Boykin, Ronnie Ghent, Chris Reis, Pierre Thomas

2008:
Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Lynell Hamilton, Garrett Hartley, Buck Ortega, Glenn Pakulak, Olaniyi Sobomehin

2009:
Greg Fassitt, Jonathan Casillas, Marcus Mailei

2010:
Justin Drescher, Junior Galette, Chris Ivory

2011:
Jed Collins, Isa Abdul-Quddus, Brian DeLa Puente, Michael Higgins, Tom Johnson

2012:
Travaris Cadet, J. Davis, Bryce Harris, Jerico Nelson

2013:
Glenn Foster, Josh Hill, Tim Lelito, Kevin Reddick, Khiry Robinson, Rod Sweeting

2014:
Marcus Ball, Todd Davis, Brian Dixon, Kasim Edebali, Lawrence Virgil, Pierre Warren

2015:
Tavaris Barnes, Delvin Breaux, Kaleb Eulls, Bobby Richardson, Landon Turner

2016:
Taveze Calhoun, Ken Crawley, DeVante Harris, Erik Harris, Jake Lampman

2017:
Adam Bighill, Austin Carr, Trey Edmunds, Garrett Griffin, Justin Hardee, Taysom Hill (...claimed off waivers from Packers), Mitchell Loewen, Authur Maulet, Zach Wood

2018:
Dan Arnold, J.T. Gray, Keith Kirkwood, Taylor Stallworth, Cameron Tom

2019:
Carl Granderson, Deonte Harris, Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Shy Tuttle

We all know that the draft itself can be a crap shoot, especially when you get to the UDFA's. In order for the Saints to have been this successful, their initial BIG BOARD had to be well researched (and scouted). Kudos to the staff! :9:

:gosaints:
 
What's the WR that everybody wanted to make the roster last year (name escapes me). He made the roster but was on tall year.. was he undrafted?
 
In 2018 we picked up WKU TE Deon Yelder. He was signed to the practice squad and then cut. KC has had him on their roster since then. Mostly special teams. I thought he'd be a good one, but just meh.
 
Hasn't been a lot lately, especially if you don't count Taysom as originally being selected by us.

But early on, some gems with Moore, PT, pre psycho Junior Gallette, Hartley (if only for the NFC CG and Super Bowl).
 
What's the WR that everybody wanted to make the roster last year (name escapes me). He made the roster but was on tall year.. was he undrafted?
Emmanuel Butler? He's still on the roster, I'm assuming practice squad.
 
Hasn't been a lot lately, especially if you don't count Taysom as originally being selected by us.

But early on, some gems with Moore, PT, pre psycho Junior Gallette, Hartley (if only for the NFC CG and Super Bowl).
A lot of that probably has to do more with the quality of the roster being with fewer weak spots. Now UDFAs see a roster that will be hard to crack. I still think we get quality UDFA interest going back to the way Payton handled the PT vs. Pittman competition. A UDFA PT made the roster over National Champion Ohio State's top back that we moved up the draft to pick. That and late 7th rounder Colston making it as well. That sent a good message to UDFA prospects about getting a fair shot at winning a position.
 
The quality of our undrafted free agents has gone down in recent years, though last year was a good year with Deonte Harris and Shy Tuttle.

However, the number of UFAs who have made the final roster has remained constant. And the number making the roster undermines, doesn't it, the view, somewhat popular on this forum, that the Saints don't need many draft picks because so few can made our final roster given our level of talent. If our talent level is so high that we should not expect four or so draft picks to make the final roster, then why are four or five UFAs each year making the roster.
 
Agents know that our team gives guys an extremely fair shake, we have a big leg up on the standard competition for priority Undrafted FA's...and that might come in extra handy this year!
 
Not sure I'd count Bighill. He was undrafted yes, but in 2011. He didn't come to New Orleans until 2018. It's not like we scooped him up after the draft. He went and played 6 years in Canada first. But, still good on the scouts to find him and get him into camp.
 
Not sure I'd count Bighill. He was undrafted yes, but in 2011. He didn't come to New Orleans until 2018. It's not like we scooped him up after the draft. He went and played 6 years in Canada first. But, still good on the scouts to find him and get him into camp.

Alot of the players listed weren't signed by the Saints as UDFA so I don't see how the Saints are being given credit for "discovering" some of these guys......and only a handful actual carved out careers.
 
Alot of the players listed weren't signed by the Saints as UDFA so I don't see how the Saints are being given credit for "discovering" some of these guys......and only a handful actual carved out careers.

On the surface, I follow your logic. However, consider the following:

Nearly all of those guys were already on the Saints' radar; other teams signed them first. But after they were cut later, the Black and Gold eventually got their guy.

:gosaints:
 
The roster is never complete until the competition is settled on the field. I really love the Shy Tuttle acquisition.
 

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