UDFA Thread

[TKUHL]

(04-26-2025, 09:04 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Whoa, might of got a future starter here once Ted leaves even if I like Matt Lee. Great competition at the very least.

Also like Howard Cross from ND. Thought we would get at least one Irish for Golden.

Loving this. Been wanting a stud C for years now. I wish they would have built the oline from the inside out a few years ago, but we all know Brown dosnt care for taking interior linemen in round 1. I still wonder how things would have been if we got Ragnow instead of Price.

[TKUHL]

(04-27-2025, 10:10 AM)Synric Wrote: Rookie Mini-Camp is the beginning of May. Teams invite UDFAs to try out.


I heard WVU TE Kole Taylor received one of the biggest Bengals UDFA signing bonuses ever. I'm not sure if it's true or not just throwing it out there.

Hmmm must be related to Zac. :)

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(05-02-2025, 04:50 PM)TKUHL Wrote: Loving this. Been wanting a stud C for years now. I wish they would have built the oline from the inside out a few years ago, but we all know Brown dosnt care for taking interior linemen in round 1. I still wonder how things would have been if we got Ragnow instead of Price.

We have been calling for a stud Center for almost 20 years now...

Would of been a different world around here if Ragnow fell to us, damn Lions. The only thing I have against the Lions is taking Ragnow right 
ahead of us. Ted has been about the best Center we have had since Braham and he is just solid. McLaughlin could be a stud yah never know,
we sure are due for one at Center. Always the best to build from the inside out in football.

Never understood how this was a no go for Mikey Boy.

[FormerlyBengalRugby]

(05-02-2025, 05:14 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: We have been calling for a stud Center for almost 20 years now...

Would of been a different world around here if Ragnow fell to us, damn Lions. The only thing I have against the Lions is taking Ragnow right 
ahead of us. Ted has been about the best Center we have had since Braham and he is just solid. McLaughlin could be a stud yah never know,
we sure are due for one at Center. Always the best to build from the inside out in football.

Never understood how this was a no go for Mikey Boy.

Question becomes where to stash him, if they can stash him, where McLaughlin will not get poached?

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(05-02-2025, 05:23 PM)FormerlyBengalRugby Wrote: Question becomes where to stash him, if they can stash him, where McLaughlin will not get poached?

Believe there is a new rule where you can have a certain amount of UDFA's on your practice squad that cannot be poached now...

[Luvnit2]

(05-02-2025, 05:45 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Believe there is a new rule where you can have a certain amount of UDFA's on your practice squad that cannot be poached now...

I believe you are correct. They can be rookies or vets as well.

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

Here is a decent article in PS rules for last year.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-practice-squad-salary-eligibility-rules-2024/e8d3dcfbbd8fb4dab14764cb

Up to 4 PS can be protected each week, and other teams cannot sign them. However, they could be poached during final cuts/before they are signed to the PS.

[Luvnit2]

(05-02-2025, 07:42 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Here is a decent article in PS rules for last year.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-practice-squad-salary-eligibility-rules-2024/e8d3dcfbbd8fb4dab14764cb

Up to 4 PS can be protected each week, and other teams cannot sign them. However, they could be poached during final cuts/before they are signed to the PS.

I thought he was injured. If so, I am not sure any team is going to poach an injured player as he has to go to their 53 immediately so they would have to cut someoone and make them subject from being poached.

If he was that great, someone would have drafted hi regardless of his injury IMHO.

[Bronxbengal]

Does anyone know if Seth MacLaughlin’s Achilles tear was a complete or partial and if he will be ready by training camp?  Not an OSU fan, but I like the kid and the fact the Bengals are long term planning for Karras’ replacement is a smart move by the FO.  Also like seeing competition between Lee, MacLaughlin and Karras.  Everyone was hard on the guard play last year which was justifiable but Karras wasn’t all that special either.  I wasn’t overly impressed with his play and he deserves some criticism.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(05-02-2025, 07:27 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I believe you are correct. They can be rookies or vets as well.

Thought so, I thought it was a good rule they added. Sucks when you have a coveted player and you want to stash him on the PS and 
some team just snatches them up. Happened to us a few times, yet we never did it to anyone else that I can recall. 

(05-02-2025, 07:42 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Here is a decent article in PS rules for last year.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-practice-squad-salary-eligibility-rules-2024/e8d3dcfbbd8fb4dab14764cb

Up to 4 PS can be protected each week, and other teams cannot sign them. However, they could be poached during final cuts/before they are signed to the PS.

Thanks Ike. Glad I wasn't hallucinating. Being hallucinate.

(05-03-2025, 10:07 AM)Bronxbengal Wrote: Does anyone know if Seth MacLaughlin’s Achilles tear was a complete or partial and if he will be ready by training camp?  Not an OSU fan, but I like the kid and the fact the Bengals are long term planning for Karras’ replacement is a smart move by the FO.  Also like seeing competition between Lee, MacLaughlin and Karras.  Everyone was hard on the guard play last year which was justifiable but Karras wasn’t all that special either.  I wasn’t overly impressed with his play and he deserves some criticism.

Good question, I don't know how bad Seth's injury is and I am no OSU fan either. But he was a good player for the Buckeyes and Karras isn't
getting any younger. To be fair on Ted's play last year, he was surrounded by the worst Guards in the NFL. Gotta give the guy a bit of a break.

[*psychdoctor*]

(05-03-2025, 10:07 AM)Bronxbengal Wrote: Does anyone know if Seth MacLaughlin’s Achilles tear was a complete or partial and if he will be ready by training camp?  Not an OSU fan, but I like the kid and the fact the Bengals are long term planning for Karras’ replacement is a smart move by the FO.  Also like seeing competition between Lee, MacLaughlin and Karras.  Everyone was hard on the guard play last year which was justifiable but Karras wasn’t all that special either.  I wasn’t overly impressed with his play and he deserves some criticism.

I read somewhere that Mac is expected to be ready for contact drills by June - July range.  

[*bfine32*]

(05-02-2025, 07:42 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Here is a decent article in PS rules for last year.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-practice-squad-salary-eligibility-rules-2024/e8d3dcfbbd8fb4dab14764cb

Up to 4 PS can be protected each week, and other teams cannot sign them. However, they could be poached during final cuts/before they are signed to the PS.

Thanks for the link, but it seems unfair to the player. 

WTS, I've decided to throw my UDFA love to Howard Cross III and Shaquan Loyal

[sandwedge]

(Yesterday, 06:55 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Thanks for the link, but it seems unfair to the player. 

WTS, I've decided to throw my UDFA love to Howard Cross III and Shaquan Loyal

I'm throwing my UDFA love towards Eric Gregory. Did a little digging on him since I have never seen him play. What I found was 6'3" 319lbs. Played at Arkansas. 42 tackles,5 TFL, 3 sacks last season. His stats have gotten better each season. I hope the kid can make the PS and gets a chance to play, we still need that DT to fill in for injuries.

[007BengalsFan]

(Yesterday, 06:55 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Thanks for the link, but it seems unfair to the player. 

WTS, I've decided to throw my UDFA love to Howard Cross III and Shaquan Loyal

Yes it does seem unfair to the players.  If poached the practice squad player would be paid the league minimum for at least 3 weeks so you are preventing him from making a lot more money plus you are preventing him from an opportunity to play in an NFL game.      I did think there was a window where protected practice squad players could be poached though.  If I remember, a team had to wait until Tuesday to designate a protected practice squad player and that protection ended after their game that week which allowed a little window for another team to poach them until the next Tuesday window.  I may be wrong about that but I thought there was a little window.

[*bfine32*]

(Yesterday, 09:29 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: Yes it does seem unfair to the players.  If poached the practice squad player would be paid the league minimum for at least 3 weeks so you are preventing him from making a lot more money plus you are preventing him from an opportunity to play in an NFL game.      I did think there was a window where protected practice squad players could be poached though.  If I remember, a team had to wait until Tuesday to designate a protected practice squad player and that protection ended after their game that week which allowed a little window for another team to poach them until the next Tuesday window.  I may be wrong about that but I thought there was a little window.

Who knows, this article was posted a few days after the one dude linked:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terror

Poaching players: Teams can sign players off the practice squad of any other NFL team. That player must be added to the new team’s 53-man roster and be eligible for at least three games. COVID-era practice squad protections which enabled teams to designate four players each week who could not be signed by another team no longer exist.


WTS, I seem to recall the time reference you mentioned. It was to stop another team picking one of your PS players just before game day

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(Yesterday, 09:55 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Who knows, this article was posted a few days after the one dude linked:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terror

Poaching players: Teams can sign players off the practice squad of any other NFL team. That player must be added to the new team’s 53-man roster and be eligible for at least three games. COVID-era practice squad protections which enabled teams to designate four players each week who could not be signed by another team no longer exist.


WTS, I seem to recall the time reference you mentioned. It was to stop another team picking one of your PS players just before game day

Here is another article, updated for 2025, saying you can still protect 4 each week. With another, you know, actual link to the article.

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nfl/depth-chart/