Saints get fill of undrafted free agents
New Orleans gets tailbacks Donaldson, Hill into the fold
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 By Mike Triplett
Staff writer for The Times-Picayune
The Saints finally have a choice among some power-running tailbacks. According to published reports, they agreed to deals with undrafted free agents Herb Donaldson from Western Illinois and P.J. Hill from Wisconsin.
Although they remain long shots to make the Saints' roster, they fit the profile. Donaldson (5 foot 10, 222 pounds) pounder was described by NFLDraftScout.com as a "bowling ball" of a running back, and he led all Division I-AA runners in both rushing (162.2 yards per game) and scoring (12.0 points per game).
Hill, 5-10, 222-pounds, ranked third on the Badgers' career rushing list with 3,802 yards, even though he left school a year early to declare for the draft. Two DUI citations, the latest on March 16, may have hurt his draft stock.
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</noscript> Donaldson's 1,784 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns last year ranked second in school history behind none other than longtime Saints tailback Aaron Stecker. Stecker is currently a free agent who could potentially re-sign with New Orleans before the season.
Donaldson ran for more than 1,400 yards in three consecutive years, finishing his career with 4,746 rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns. Among his most impressive performances was last year's season opener at Arkansas, in which he ran for 157 yards and scored two touchdowns.
The knocks on both backs are against their speed and versatility.
To earn a spot on the Saints' roster, they'll have to compete with two other young power backs who also began their careers as undrafted free agents. Mike Bell started out with the Denver Broncos in 2006 after going undrafted out of Arizona. Hamilton signed with the Saints last year after the draft and spent the season on New Orleans' practice squad.
Starting tailback Pierre Thomas also was "discovered" by the Saints as an undrafted free agent out of Illinois in 2007.
Saints Coach Sean Payton said the team has high hopes for Bell and Hamilton, which is the main reason why the Saints didn't target any other tailbacks in the draft after they failed to trade up for Ohio State's Chris "Beanie" Wells in the first round.
Now, however, it looks like those guys have some competition.
The Saints haven't released any names of undrafted free agents who have agreed to deals, but the following players also have been confirmed through league sources and published reports:
-- UCLA quarterback Patrick Cowan (6-4, 218) served as an undergraduate assistant with the Bruins last year after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during spring practices.
He also was limited to five games as a junior in 2007 due to injuries. He threw for 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his abbreviated career, making 12 starts. <script src="http://ads.nola.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/www.nola.com/xml/story/S/SSPST/@StoryAd" language="JavaScript1.1"></script>
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</noscript> -- Wisconsin outside linebacker Jonathan Casillas (6-1, 228) had a fourth- to fifth-round grade on NFLDraftScout.com.
He suffered a knee injury during fall camp last year that left him limited all season, but he still appeared in 10 games with 62 tackles. Another fast athlete, he played weakside linebacker in college, where he'll likely line up in New Orleans. Scouts believe he also could make the move to strong safety.
-- Stanford center Alex Fletcher (6-2, 297) was the 12th-rated center in the draft according to NFLDraftScout. A four-year starter in college, he impressed scouts at the NFL combine by benching the third most reps of 225 pounds (30).
-- Kent State offensive tackle Augustus Parrish (6-4, 303) was rated as a top-20 offensive tackle by many draft analysts because of his athleticism and potential.
A three-year starter at left tackle, he helped the Golden Flashes rank 11th in the nation in rushing last year (230.6 yards per game). He didn't get the most out of his potential in college but had an impressive showing during the week of the East-West Shrine Game.
-- Texas guard Cedric Dockery (6-3, 314) is the younger brother of current NFL standout Derrick Dockery.
Scouts believe he was inconsistent in college, but he was a second-team all-conference selection by The Associated Press and has an enticing combination of power and athleticism.
-- Texas A&M cornerback Danny Gorrer (6-0, 185) suffered a torn ACL during his junior season in 2007 and played sparingly in 2008.
But impressive workouts and fast 40-yard dash times put him back on the radar leading into the draft.
-- Portland State cornerback Reggie Jones (6-0, 193) impressed scouts with a 40-yard dash time of 4.43 seconds, but his playing career is spotty.
He had four interceptions and 28 tackles last season after transferring from Idaho State, where he was dismissed for violating team rules. His early years were cut short by a detached retina and ankle injury.
-- Louisville receiver Chris Vaughn (6-3, 224) doesn't have much of a track record either, due partly to injuries.
