The New Orleans Saints kicked off their rookie minicamp on Friday and it was a crowded field.
The Saints had their 2010 draft picks â€" six players headlined by Florida State cornerback Patrick Robinson â€" along with 14 undrafted college free agents and a grand pack of about 40 tryout players along with five players from last season's practice squad, according to Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. That adds up to roughly 65 players on the field for a team that doesn't have a lot of needs.
Some Caste notables are:
Clint Gresham â€" Long Snapper, TCU (6-3, 238): Gresham, a Corpus Christi, Texas native, was the only long snapper invited to the NFL Scouting Combine after a solid career for the Horned Frogs, playing in 38 games over three seasons and recording eight tackles on special teams. The long snapper spent his freshman season at the University of Oklahoma before transferring to TCU.
Ryan Hamilton â€" Safety, Vanderbilt (6-1, 206): Hamilton was a four-year starter for the Commodores, playing both free and strong safety over his 39-game career (36 starts) that saw him total 222 tackles, five interceptions, two sacks, three forced fumbles and seven pass defenses. Had his best season as a junior in 2008, making 104 tackles with four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown and three fumble recoveries. The Wycombe, Pa. native had his senior season cut short after just two games after suffering a torn pectoral muscle.
Brandon Carter â€" Guard, Texas Tech (6-6, 319): Carter started for three seasons for the Red Raiders, opening 40 of the 49 games he played during his collegiate career. The native of Longview, Texas was selected first-team All-Big XII as a senior in 2009 after receiving honorable mention all-conference honors in each of his sophomore and junior seasons.
Also in the mix will be quarterback Greg Paulus, who played for Syracuse last season after a four-year playing basketball at Duke. Paulus stepped in and played immediately for the Orange, passing for 2,024 yards and 13 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. He played for Doug Marrone, who previously was the offensive coordinator under Saints coach Sean Payton.
What Paulus' chances are remain to be seen, tryout players face a major uphill climb to get a contract, let alone a spot on the practice squad.
The Saints had their 2010 draft picks â€" six players headlined by Florida State cornerback Patrick Robinson â€" along with 14 undrafted college free agents and a grand pack of about 40 tryout players along with five players from last season's practice squad, according to Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. That adds up to roughly 65 players on the field for a team that doesn't have a lot of needs.
Some Caste notables are:
Clint Gresham â€" Long Snapper, TCU (6-3, 238): Gresham, a Corpus Christi, Texas native, was the only long snapper invited to the NFL Scouting Combine after a solid career for the Horned Frogs, playing in 38 games over three seasons and recording eight tackles on special teams. The long snapper spent his freshman season at the University of Oklahoma before transferring to TCU.
Ryan Hamilton â€" Safety, Vanderbilt (6-1, 206): Hamilton was a four-year starter for the Commodores, playing both free and strong safety over his 39-game career (36 starts) that saw him total 222 tackles, five interceptions, two sacks, three forced fumbles and seven pass defenses. Had his best season as a junior in 2008, making 104 tackles with four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown and three fumble recoveries. The Wycombe, Pa. native had his senior season cut short after just two games after suffering a torn pectoral muscle.
Brandon Carter â€" Guard, Texas Tech (6-6, 319): Carter started for three seasons for the Red Raiders, opening 40 of the 49 games he played during his collegiate career. The native of Longview, Texas was selected first-team All-Big XII as a senior in 2009 after receiving honorable mention all-conference honors in each of his sophomore and junior seasons.
Also in the mix will be quarterback Greg Paulus, who played for Syracuse last season after a four-year playing basketball at Duke. Paulus stepped in and played immediately for the Orange, passing for 2,024 yards and 13 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. He played for Doug Marrone, who previously was the offensive coordinator under Saints coach Sean Payton.
What Paulus' chances are remain to be seen, tryout players face a major uphill climb to get a contract, let alone a spot on the practice squad.
