Which undrafted free-agent makes the roster?
1. OL Jeremiah Warren, South Florida
2. OT Markus Zusevics, Iowa
3. DL Marcus Forston, Miami
4. TE Brad Herman, Iowa
5. WR Matt Roark, Kentucky
6. DL Justin Francis, Rutgers
7. RB Brandon Bolden, Mississippi
Something famous about Bill Belichick and his personnel decisions is that he doesn't care where you came from, where you were drafted. He just cares about whether or not you can play and help the team. As a result, the Patriots always seem to have one undrafted free-agent surprisingly make the roster, or at least seriously contend for a spot. The most notable recent example would be linebacker Dane Fletcher.
So, in honor of rookie mini-camp starting today, it could be worth it to venture a guess as to which of the above players could make the final cut come September.
Mike Reiss has a piece that asks, could Bolden become the next Green-Ellis? as the two both come from the same school and are said to have a similar running style. Still, the scouting report on Bolden is that he has character issues. If that's true I'm not sure how long he will stick around on this Patriots roster. Bolden does have maybe one of the best chances though as the Patriots backfield is not exactly full of certainty right now and he seems to have the most talent of the bunch.
I believe Justin Francis also stands a chance to make the roster. The Patriots are in need of a pass rush, and despite addressing that through the draft, you can never have too many pass rushers. According to Yates, Francis had 6.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 5 passes broken up and an interception in his senior season.
If I had to pick one, I would pick Bolden, as he was the only one of the bunch who was talked about as possibly being drafted. The one concern I have for him is the supposed personality issues, the only veteran back on the Patriots roster right now is Joseph Addai. If Faulk were still around I would feel a lot better about him being able to mentor Bolden.
