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With week one of the preseason under our belts, we can begin to take stock of the roster bubble(s). Alec did a bang up job breaking down the roster bubble(s) earlier today, and I won't step on his toes. But the players we're primarily concerned about in that discussion are undrafted free agents.
UDFAs are funny - on the one hand, they usually don't pan out. On the other hand, a lot of them do. In fact, league-wide, a significant percentage of any NFL roster is made up of free agents. And I'm not just talking about the post-draft roster. I'm talking about the 53 man roster. Players like Tony Romo and Arian Foster, for whatever reason, end up going undrafted. The teams that are smart enough in their scouting stand to benefit.
The Falcons have quite a few UDFAs in camp. At this point though, only a few are standing out. Based on what we've heard during camp and what happened last night, I'd argue Paul Worrilow, Ryan Schraeder, and Ronnie Wingo are leading the pack, at this point. Let's consider what each man may be able to do for the Falcons.
Worrilow absolutely dominated against the Bengals' second team last night. He amassed 11 tackles, flying all over the field in the process. With that said, he was at least partially responsible for two touchdowns. Worrilow's 40 times in college really ranged (from 4.57 to 4.76), but the kid had a real chance to get drafted. I'd be perfectly content Worrilow backing up Akeem Dent. Vishnu knows we need the linebacking depth.
Ryan Schraeder looked solid playing against the Bengals' second and third teams. He's got the size, notwithstanding a mediocre-at-best college pedigree. Not much else to say about him.
Ronnie Wingo intrigues me. He made the most of his opportunities, rushing the ball just four times, but averaging over seven yards a carry. I don't think anyone believes he'd supplant Jason Snelling as the third running back, but Antone Smith may need to watch his back. Smith has only logged one carry since 2010, but he's a special teams ace. His stops totals are about as good as they get. Wingo needs to show he can carry himself on special teams. Do that, and he may stand a chance.
I'm inclined to think Worrilow took a big step towards making this team last night. But what are you thoughts? Which of these UDFAs is leading the pack? Discuss!