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In other years, some 400 college players snubbed in the NFL draft would have signed by now. Some of them would have gotten signing bonuses.
Many of them, in fact, would have been in better position than players drafted in the latter rounds. They could auction their services and pick the best deal depending not just on the money but on which team would offer them the best chance to stick. Teams tend to favor drafted players over the undrafted, but draftees can’t choose teams that are weak at their positions.
This year, the game has changed.
The lockout has put undrafted players in limbo. NFL teams are not allowed to contact them or their agents. If the lockout drags on, they could take other jobs or summer courses, but they know that they’d have to be ready to sign on a moment’s notice if they want to play in the NFL.
“Obviously, this is not the best year for undrafted free agents,” Stanford center Chase Beeler said. “Frankly, life hasn’t changed a lot from last week. You just get back on the horse, so to speak. I’m still training. I know things could change at the drop of a hat.”
Cal wide receiver Jeremy Ross, who posted a fine 4.39 time in the 40 at the NFL combine, feels he’s in a better position than players drafted in the sixth or seventh rounds despite the uncertainty.
“At first, it was tough,” he said. “Not being drafted hurt a lot. But I see the upside too.”
He obviously would eventually like to find a team that needs receiving depth. In the meantime he’ll stay in Berkeley and train. He’ll get his degree this month.
Players like Beeler and Ross would love to join the roughly 10 percent of NFL players who weren’t drafted. Their numbers include 49ers wide receiver Dominique Zeigler and Raiders defensive lineman Tommy Kelly, linebacker Ricky Brown, safety Hiram Eugene and fullback Marcel Reece.
Kelly is one of the poster boys for undrafted players. In 2008, he signed a seven-year, $50.5 million contract.
The status of some hopefuls is complicated. Cal quarterback Kevin Riley came back from a knee injury that ended his season in November to take part in Cal’s pro day. The market for quarterbacks, though, is especially grim because they need months of studying a playbook to get ready for training camp.
“It’s definitely a little frustrating,” Riley said. “You don’t know what to do besides work out.”
He said the Canadian Football League’s BC Lions have contacted him, and he’s receptive. “The CFL looks like a fun game,” he said. “It looks like a quarterback’s game with a wider and longer field and 12 guys.” CFL rookie camps open in the first week of June.
Another option for some players might be the 2-year-old United Football League. But it has just five teams – including the Sacramento Mountain Lions, coached by former Stanford boss Dennis Green – and doesn’t pay much ($35,000 to most players last year and $25,000 to kickers, punters and long snappers).
The UFL didn’t appeal to any of the six local undrafted players reached by The Chronicle. But that could change.
“My ultimate goal is to get to the NFL,” said Doug Baldwin, Stanford’s leading receiver last season. He’s finishing his degree and might take a part-time job while waiting for the lockout to end.
Of the 56 players who entered the draft with college eligibility remaining, only 14 were not drafted. One of them was Stanford defensive end/linebacker Thomas Keiser, who said he doesn’t regret his decision.
“I’m just not in an ideal situation now,” he said. The chiseled 6-foot-5, 262-pound junior isn’t sure whether NFL teams would try him as a lineman or a linebacker. “I’m just waiting to see which team I play for and adjust accordingly,” he said. “I’m all in with my pursuit of playing in the NFL.”
If the lockout lasts well into the summer, though, he and many others in similar situations could be out of luck. Teams will be under the gun to get their final rosters in order quickly, so those players might have to wait till 2012, when they would have to compete with a new class of undrafted players.
“The important thing is to think positively,” Cal nose tackle Derrick Hill said.
The Oakland native has graduated and might start working with inner-city youth, something he’s done for years. But he heard that pro teams were interested in him. And his NFL dream is still alive.

Montana’s football faithful should be keeping their eyes locked on the NFL Draft starting up this week. On Saturday, rounds 4 thru 7 will be announced and their may be some familiar names summoned to the professional ranks.
Montana has a number of prospects hoping to join NFL teams but only one has been called a sleeper pick by NFL analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. Chase Reynolds got that praise from the draft guru but he says he’s not sure what it does to improve his draft stock.
“I still feel like it’s a long shot, even with guys like that mentioning my name,” said Reynolds.
“You like to hear that, but I’m hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. But that definitely brings my spirits up a little bit. And honestly, I don’t know where to think my draft stock would be but hopefully, that guy Mel mentioning my name helps out.”
Chase says he’s been contacted by a few NFL teams already. Most of that correspondence has been handled by his agent, Mark Lillibridge out of St. Louis, who also represents Miami Dolphins running back and former Grizzly Lex Hilliard.
On Saturday, the MSU Bobcats collected their Big Sky championship rings, including NFL hopeful Mike Person.
Person impressed at the NFL combine where his time in the 20-yard dash and 3-cone drill were 5th best for all offensive linemen. He says he’s received great feedback from several NFL teams, but is aware those may not be the teams he calls home for the foreseeable future.
“A lot of times, it’s the teams that show the least amount of interest that end up picking you up. But I’ve worked out for a few teams. 49ers, Seahawks, a few others. I’ve been talking to a few other teams on the phone so it’s been going good. Late round pick, hopefully. Cross our fingers and we’ll see. We’ll see,” he said.

Both Person and Reynolds are nominees for Montana AAU’s Little Sullivan Award, so on the last day of the NFL Draft, which is this Saturday, those guys will be in Billings for that banquet. Reynolds says he’ll probably be in a hotel room waiting for the big phone call.

The N.F.L. argued Thursday in court papers that players were not entitled to further damages — either compensatory or punitive — in the case in which the United States District Judge David Doty ruled that the league violated agreements with players when it negotiated TV contracts that would pay owners even if games are missed during a lockout.While the papers do not reveal the amount of damages being sought — all figures are redacted — they make reference to players seeking compensatory damages of “hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Doty has scheduled a hearing on May 12 on the damages.
In the papers, the N.F.L. argues that the players never sought certain damages before the Special Master who oversaw the collective bargaining agreement and that they cannot seek them now. And they said flatly that there was no basis for punitive damages to be awarded.
The Doty decision is one of the steps that could push owners and players to come to an agreement to settle their litigation and reach a new agreement to allow league business to resume.
Both sides are awaiting a ruling — expected on Monday — on the players’ request for an injunction to stop the lockout. Judge Susan Richard Nelson is expected to grant the injunction, and if she does, the league will immediately appeal.
Also on Thursday, the N.F.L. declined to grant a waiver to a law firm that was hoping to represent as many as 70 players who wanted to request a seat at the negotiating table.
The waiver was necessary because one of the partners of the law firm, who was not involved in this case, had represented the N.F.L. in music licensing cases. The law firm had sent a letter soliciting players to join its group, a letter that the representatives of the former players’ union later labeled an attempt to divide players.

April is a long way from football season, but the release of the NFL schedule on Tuesday and next week’s draft bring a reminder that (hopefully) another season isn’t that far off. With that in mind, here are 10 thoughts on the 2011 season while we’re all hoping the labor deal gets worked out:
1. Get ready for the next Shula Bowl. Jim and John Harbaugh will coach against one another for the first time Thanksgiving night when San Francisco plays at Baltimore. For us, that brings back memories of the mid-’90s when Don and David Shula matched wits. Don coached the Dolphins and son David was the boss of the Bengals when their teams met in 1994 and ’95 both in Cincinnati. Miami won both meetings, 23-7 in ’94 and 26-23 in ’95.
2. Chiefs face murderers’ row. Coming off a 10-6 season and its first playoff berth in five years, Kansas City has a great chance to get off to a good start when the Chiefs play only one playoff team (Indianapolis) in the first nine weeks. Then it gets ugly. In succession, the Chiefs face New England, Pittsburgh, Chicago, the New York Jets and Green Bay. That’s the four teams that played in the two conference championship games last season plus the Patriots, who went 14-2. Ouch.
3. Call them the prime-time Patriots. The Patriots will have only four games at the traditional 1 p.m. Sunday start time this season, with three of those coming in the last four weeks.
The lineup: two on Monday Night Football (including the opener at Miami), two on Sunday night and eight 4:15 p.m. starts. That makes for a lot of New England fans making the drive from Foxborough back to Boston in the dark.
4. Packers, Patriots are oddsmakers’ picks. The release of the schedule gives the oddsmakers an opportunity to update their Super Bowl odds. Bodog.com makes Green Bay and New England co-favorites to win it all at 7-1, followed by Pittsburgh at 11-1 and San Diego at 12-1.
The Dolphins are 50-1 for now, but check but for another update after the draft.
5. Colts-Patriots has another renewal. In these days of computerized schedules it’s amazing that New England and Indianapolis, who play in different divisions, will be meeting for the 11th straight year (on Dec. 4 at Gillette Stadium). The Patriots won 31-28 last year and have come out on top in seven of the 10 meetings. The teams’ quarterbacks have combined to win the last three league MVP trophies, Peyton Manning in 2008-09 and Tom Brady as a unanimous choice last year.
6. Jets, Giants mark Sept. 11 anniversary. While there had been speculation the New York Jets and Giants would meet to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, both will play relevant opponents that day, the Jets facing Dallas at New Meadowlands Stadium and the Giants traveling to Washington. Dallas, of course, is known as “America’s Team,” while Washington was also a Sept. 11 terrorist target.
“The stadium is going to be full of emotion, not only from New York but the entire country,” Jets coach Rex Ryan told ESPN.
7. Bucs are becoming London’s team. Tampa Bay will make its second visit to London’s Wembley Stadium in three years when the Bucs face Chicago on Oct. 23. It was only two years ago that the Bucs lost to New England 35-7 in another so-called International Series game. Those wondering what’s behind the schedule need to be reminded the Glazer family, which owns the Bucs, also owns the Manchester United football club. The way ManU fans feel about the Glazers, they need all the goodwill vibes they can muster.
8. The Lions are back on MNF. Only three current Lions – center Dominic Raiola, tackle Jeff Backus and kicker Jason Hanson – were on the club in 2001 when Detroit last played on Monday Night Football. The drought ends when the Lions play host to Chicago on Oct. 10. Detroit generated some buzz by winning its last four games of 2010, but it faces a difficult early schedule this fall with road games at Tampa Bay, Minnesota and Dallas in the first four weeks.
9. The big bowls get knocked off their perch. While New Year’s Day is traditionally the domain of college bowls, the NFL takes precedence this year with New Year’s falling on a Sunday. The Rose and Sugar bowls will be played Jan. 2, the Orange on the 3rd or 4th, the Fiesta on the 4th or 5th and the BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 9 in New Orleans.
10. Announcing the schedule was a stupid idea. Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark, who has been outspoken in the past, ripped Commissioner Roger Goodell for releasing the schedule while labor talks drag on. Clark said Goodell must have been thinking, “We’re gonna put the schedule out and find another way to put my face on TV.”

After taking a look at Cleveland’s 2011 schedule, one might notice that the Browns play the Steelers and Ravens twice in the final five games. If the Browns can go 2-2 against both Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the final weeks, a playoff birth might be in sight.
A December 4th matchup against the Ravens marks the beginning of a brutal stretch for the Browns. Cleveland will be at home, in freezing weather, against a hard-nosed defense who will be looking to stop the running game. If the Browns can be somewhat effective on the ground, and exploit a weak secondary with timely passing, they’ve got a chance. Keep in mind though, just four days later, the Browns will be in Pittsburgh for a highly-anticipated Thursday night game.
On December 8th, the Browns will try to repeat a stunning 2009 performance against the Steelers on Thursday night football. In the 17-6 win, Cleveland used multiple running packages designed for Josh Cribbs (8 car, 87 yards), and used Brady Quinn sparingly. In 2011, Cleveland might have better luck with a smarter and more accurate Colt McCoy coupled with the bruiser Peyton Hillis. In this game, the Browns have to body Mike Wallace using Joe Haden, and stuff the box with the anticipated defensive linemen from the draft. The Browns will get a break the following week against Arizona, but the Ravens will be back.
On Christmas Eve, a win for the Browns against the Ravens would be the best gift a Cleveland fan could ask for. By December 24th, the Browns might be looking at a playoff spot pending any previous success in the month. It’s “do or die” for both teams in Week 16, and even if the Browns aren’t contending for the postseason, why not spoil Baltimore’s chances? Cleveland never beat Baltimore last season, so you can bet the Orange and Brown will be seeking revenge.
Week 17 is again a time for revenge against Pittsburgh. The Browns lost 41-9 in a shellacking last year. Again, this game might have playoff implications for both teams, which makes it so much more intriguing. Heinz Field will likely be a blizzard, and the Browns will be looking to keep the Terrible Towels from waving. It’s this game that every Browns fan lives for, so get ready!
With the Browns having a relatively easier schedule in Weeks 3-12, divisional success will be critical. Pat Shurmur can make his mark in Cleveland with a first-year playoff run.

The Green Bay Packers have the pick every team wants to have for the NFL Draft: the 32nd pick, the last pick of the first round. That means they won the Super Bowl the previous season, which the Packers did when they beat Pittsburgh, 31-25, in Super Bowl XLV.
So that’s the good part. The bad part is actually owning the 32nd pick and having to pay the player first-round money. If you go back the last 20 years, the 32nd pick isn’t actually the Who’s Who of NFL players.
Last year, the Saints picked cornerback Patrick Robinson, who totaled 28 tackles and two passes defensed. The 32nd pick in the 2009 draft, defensive tackle Ziggy Hood from Pittsburgh, has totaled only three sacks in two years.
The Packers have had the 32nd pick once in the previous 20 drafts and selected cornerback Craig Newsome in 1995. Newsome was a solid corner, who was with the Packers for four seasons. After playing well his first two good seasons, Newsome missed all but one game in 1997 with a knee injury and after 1998 moved on to San Francisco.
Newsome was never the same after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery in 1997, losing what little speed he had. He registered four interceptions during his career, three with the Packers.
Arguably, the two best players picked at No. 32 in the previous 20 drafts are Drew Brees and Logan Mankins. Brees was actually a second-round pick by San Diego and has become one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, having guided the Saints to a Super Bowl win two years ago.
Mankins, a guard, is a three-time Pro Bowler for the Patriots.
So there is a shot at striking gold at No. 32, it just isn’t likely
Some other notable players picked at No. 32 have been Anthony Gonzalez (wide receiver, Colts, 2007), Mathias Kiwanuka (defensive end, Giants, 2006) and Ben Watson (tight end, Patriots, 235 career catches, 2004).
Because the No. 32 pick isn’t a great spot to find great talent, Packers general manager Ted Thompson will likely look to deal this pick. If a quarterback like Jake Locker or Ryan Mallett is available at No. 32, the Packers could find a team looking to pick what it thinks is a franchise-type quarterback.
This is especially true if Carolina, which is projected by many to pick Cam Newton at No. 1, pulls a surprise and doesn’t pick Newton or a quarterback. Carolina then might look at No. 33 (first pick of the second round) for a quarterback, which would open Green Bay’s No. 32 slot for a team to trade into to get a quarterback before Carolina picks one.
Whichever teams make the 32nd pick, one thing seems certain, he won’t be the offensive/defensive rookie of the year, as the No. 32 pick has never claimed a rookie of the year honor.

ALLEN One victory separates the Odessa Jackalopes and their third consecutive trip to the Presidents Cup conference finals in the Central Hockey League playoffs.
Todd Robinson scored two power-play goals less than a minute apart in the first period Sunday as the Jackalopes beat the Allen Americans 5-2 in Game 2 of the Berry Conference semifinal series at the Allen Event Center.
The Jackalopes took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-5 series and can advance to the Berry Conference Finals if they win any of the final three games in the series. Game 3 is 7:05 p.m. Tuesday at Ector County Coliseum.
Robinson finished with two goals, two assists and a plus-two rating while helping put the Jackalopes on the brink of a series victory against an Americans team that is top seeded in the CHL’s Berry Conference.
Patrick Mbaraga scored a rare goal in the second period for a 3-0 lead before the Americans got within 3-1 heading into the third period.
It didn’t take the Jackalopes long to take complete control, though, as Matt Gens scored just 28 seconds into the third period and Jeff Pierce scored at 2:10 of the third for a commanding 5-1 lead.
The Americans got a goal back, but Jackalopes goaltender Joel Martin saved 26 of 28 shots he saw while earning the victory.
As the game was ending, there were plenty of extracurriculars.
Allen and Odessa combined for 46 penalty minutes in the last seven seconds of the game – with all but five minutes going to Allen. Colton Yellow Horn and Liam Huculak both were assessed game misconducts.

The Week That Was:Ohio State maintained the top spot in the Big Ten standings with a win over Indiana on Sunday. The Buckeyes are 14-2 in conference play, one game ahead of second-place Purdue, which improved to 13-3 with a win against Michigan State on Sunday afternoon. Wisconsin remains in third with a 12-4 record, two games out of first place. Big Ten action continues on Tuesday as the Boilermakers host the Illini at 7 p.m. ET and Penn State welcomes the Buckeyes at 9 p.m. ET.
Ripping up the RPI:The Big Ten boasts the second-highest RPI among all conferences, trailing only the Big East. The Big Ten has eight teams among the RPI top 65, which also ranks second among all conferences, trailing only the Big East which has 11 top-65 teams. However, the Big Ten (72.7 percent) has a higher percentage of its teams among the top 65 than any other conference. The Big Ten and Big East are the only two conferences with three or more top-15 teams, as the Big Ten is led by No. 3 Ohio State, No. 6 Purdue and No. 13 Wisconsin. The Big Ten’s top-65 RPI teams have a combined 81 wins against other teams rated among the RPI’s top 100, led by Ohio State (14 wins), Purdue (14), Wisconsin (13) and Illinois (10).
Top 100 Countdown:Big Ten teams have racked up impressive amounts of wins against top competition this season, led by Ohio State and Purdue, who each have 14 wins against teams among the RPI top 100. Wisconsin has 13 such wins, while Illinois has 10, Michigan State has nine and Michigan and Penn State each have eight. Minnesota has five top-100 wins, including three victories against top-25 squads. Ohio State’s and Purdue’s top-100 wins totals are tied for the second-most among all teams, while Wisconsin’s total is tied for fourth. Only 15 teams in the nation have more top-100 wins than Illinois’ total of 10.
Sending Out an S.O.S.: Big Ten teams have played some of the most difficult schedules in the country, led by Michigan State, which has a strength-of-schedule (SOS) rating of sixth. Penn State follows at ninth, while Purdue (17), Illinois (19) and Michigan (21) also rank among the top 21. The Big Ten ranks second among all conferences with five teams in the top 21 of the SOS ratings, but leads all conferences with 45.5 percent of its teams ranked among that range. The Big Ten also leads all conferences with 72.7 percent of its teams owning SOS ratings of 35 or better, including Ohio State (28), Wisconsin (34) and Minnesota (35).
On the Verge: Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin all remain in contention for at least a share of the Big Ten title. Ohio State can clinch a share of the championship with its next win or a Purdue loss, while Wisconsin would be eliminated from title contention with a Buckeye victory. Ohio State is looking for its second consecutive Big Ten championship, which would also be its 19th overall and fourth since 2006.
Bye, Bye, Bye:With respective conference records of 14-2, 13-3 and 12-4, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin have clinched first-round byes in the 2011 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament. With just 2.5 games separating the fourth- and ninth-place teams, the rest of the tournament field will be decided in the final week of play. The top five teams in the final conference standings receive first-round byes in the Big Ten Tournament, which begins Thursday, March 10. For more information on the Big Ten Tournament, see Page 3 of this release or visit www.bigten.org. Raking in the Rankings:The Big Ten leads all conferences with three teams ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press (AP) and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls. Ohio State is back at No. 1 in each poll, while Purdue comes in at No. 6 and Wisconsin is ranked No. 10. This week’s poll marks the first time since Nov. 22 (No. 2/2 Michigan State, No. 3/3 Ohio State, No. 10/8 Purdue) that the Big Ten has had three top-10 teams in both polls. It also marks the first time since the final 2004-05 poll (No. 1/2 Illinois, No. 15/4 Michigan State, No. 20/10 Wisconsin) that the Big Ten has had three top-10 teams, including the No. 1 squad, in either poll. Complete poll information can be found on Page 7 of this release.
Elite Company: With three assists against Northwestern on Thursday, Penn State’s Talor Battle became the first player in Big Ten history and just the 12th in NCAA Division I history with 2,000 career points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists. The senior currently boasts career totals of 2,079 points, 594 boards and 500 helpers. He is the Big Ten’s active leader in points scored and ranks 19th on the conference’s all-time list. His rebound total places him fifth among all active Big Ten players, and he is the third active conference player with 500 assists. Purdue’s E’Twaun Moore joined Battle in another elite club, becoming just the fourth player in Big Ten history with 2,000 points, 500 rebounds and 350 assists in a career. Battle and Moore join Michigan State’s Steve Smith (1988-91) and Wisconsin’s Michael Finley (1992-95).
Saluting the Seniors: Ten of the Big Ten’s 11 schools will play their last home games of the regular season this week, celebrating Senior Night. Wisconsin bid farewell to its seniors on Sunday, a 78-63 win against Northwestern, during which Jon Leuer dropped 26 points playing in front of the Kohl Center crowd for the last time in his career. The top four scorers in the Big Ten this season are all seniors, led by Penn State’s Talor Battle (20.5 ppg). Purdue’s JaJuan Johnson (20.4) and E’Twaun Moore (18.5) rank second and fourth, respectively, while Leuer (19.3) is third. Overall, 14 of the Big Ten’s top 30 scorers are seniors, including eight of the top 15 and five of the top 10. Seniors are the leading scorers on six Big Ten teams – Illinois (Demetri McCamey), Michigan State (Kalin Lucas), Minnesota (tied – Blake Hoffarber), Northwestern (Michael Thompson), Purdue (Johnson) and Wisconsin (Leuer).
Home Sweet Home: Big Ten teams are nearly unbeatable on their home courts this year, combining for a 141-36 (.797) record in front of the home crowd. Wisconsin finished undefeated at home during the regular season for the third time under head coach Bo Ryan. Ohio State and Purdue also have the chance to close out their seasons with unblemished home records, each with one home game remaining on the regular season schedule. During conference games, Big Ten home teams are 60-29 (.674), including nine teams with records of .500 or better.
Awards Season: Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger and Purdue’s JaJuan Johnson were named two of 10 finalists for the Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Award as presented by the USBWA. The Big Ten was one of just three conferences with multiple players on the list, marking the latest in a long list of accolades given to conference student-athletes this season. Minnesota’s Blake Hoffarber was named a Capital One Academic All-American last week and was previously named Academic All-District along with Michigan’s Zack Novak and Northwestern’s Drew Crawford. The Big Ten tied for the lead among all conferences with five players — Illinois’ Demetri McCamey, Ohio State’s Sullinger, Purdue’s Johnson and E’Twaun Moore and Wisconsin’s Jon Leuer — on the Naismith Award Midseason Top 30 List. McCamey and Wisconsin’s Jordan Taylor are finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, and Sullinger is one of five finalists for the Wayman Tisdale Award. Moore, Leuer and Ohio State’s David Lighty are finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award.
March is (Almost) On:The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament returns to Indianapolis March 10-13, 2011 for the fourth year of a five-year agreement that puts both the men’s and women’s events in the Circle City. All-session tickets for the 2011 Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments are on sale now. For more information, visit www.bigten.org and see Page 3 of this release.
Let the Madness Begin:The Big Ten Conference will serve as host for the second and third rounds of the 2011 NCAA Tournament. Games will be played at the United Center in Chicago, and a limited number of tickets are still available. Visit www.bigten.org for more information.

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