Five Scarlet Knights Sign With NFL Teams as Undrafted Free Agents

Mohamed Sanu was the only Scarlet Knight drafted this year, but five of his teammates will have the opportunity to play in the NFL after signing as undrafted free agents.  Defensive lineman Justin Francis signed with the New England Patriots, offensive lineman Desmond Wynn will join his former coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, running back Joe Martinek will play for his home town New York Giants, and offensive lineman Desmond Stapleton will follow in his brother Darnell's foot steps, and join the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Additionally, in an extremely classy move, Greg Schiano and the Buccaneers have allowed defensive lineman Eric LeGrand to realize his dream of making it to the NFL after his tragic injury. He will receive a jersey and a symbolic contract. Defensive back David Rowe would have likely signed on with a team, but he has chosen to pursue a career in coaching.

You have failed me for the last time, Admiral*

Francis is just the latest cog in the Piscataway to Foxboro pipeline, joining three other Knights under coach Bill Belichick. Francis is a tackle/end tweener and could play either position for the Pats. Francis fires off the line quickly and is able to penetrate into the opposition's backfield, causing havoc against the run and the pass. His versatility bodes well for New England's 3-4, 4-3 hybrid system.

Chances of making the 53 man roster: 35%
The Patriots are pretty set at defensive end, having used two of their first four picks on the position (Chandler Jones at 21 and Jake Bequette at 90) in addition to already having Jermaine Cunningham, Alex Silvestro, and free agent pick up Jonathan Faene on their roster. It's unlikely that they would carry 6 defensive ends. If he plays DT in the 4-3 scheme, there is less competition for a roster spot. New England has been moving more and more towards running a 4-3 defense, but if they still plan on using a 3-4, Jones and Bequette will be linebackers, and Francis's odds of making the team will go up.

Wynn will continue playing for coach Greg Schiano in the pros, and he is capable of backing up at every spot on the offensive line. After being a solid contributer at guard, Wynn slid over to left tackle in the Knight's Pinstripe Bowl victory over Iowa State, and he left the coaching staff wondering why they didn't make the move sooner. He is a very strong blocker and shows some decent athleticism.

Chances of making the 53 man roster: 60%
Wynn will likely compete in training camp to be the Buccaneers' back up at both guard spots, and his familiarity with the coaching staff certainly won't hurt.

Martinek has played both tailback and fullback at Rutgers, and he will likely get a look from the Giants at both spots. He is a good receiver out of the back field and can help in pass protection, but he's a bit of a tweeer since he's not an an overly elusive runner or powerful run blocker.

Chances of making the 53 man roster: 5%
All three of the Giants running backs, Ahmed Brdshaw, David Wilson, and DJ Ware can contribute in the passing game, and they already have a pretty good fullback in Henry Hynoski. His best bet is getting noticed as a special teams stand out.

Stapleton was benched in favor of Kaleb Johnson last year, but he was Rutgers best offensive lineman in 2010.

Chances of making the team: 0.1%
Never say never, but the Steelers have invested a lot of draft pick in offensive lineman the last three years. Their roster is pretty set at all 5 positions and 3 or 4 back ups.

Of course if these guys don't make the 53 man roster they will have the chance to latch on to the practice squad in hopes of being put on the active roster later in the season. Practice squad players earn $5200 a week, so if they stay on the whole season, they could make $88,400. Not too shabby for half a year of work for a recent college graduate.

*those all black uniforms definitely had a Sith Lord feel to them. Maybe it was just me though.Francis totally looks like he just forced chocked Ray Graham and is just hovering over him.