The general sentiment is that if a player wasn’t good enough to be drafted by an NFL team he isn’t good enough to play in the NFL. And, generally speaking, that’s true.
However, every once in a while an Undrafted Free Agent really shines. When they join the Packers, they shine more frequently than they do on any other team.When you say the words “Undrafted Free Agent success story” to Packer fans, the first name to come to mind is Sam Shields. No team even looked Shields’ direction as the draft came and went. During the UDFA period following the 2010 draft, the Packers got a great deal when they signed Sam Shields. Not only did Shields make the team (something even drafted players have trouble accomplishing), he made a contribution (including two INTs) as the Packers made the long journey to their 13th world championship and earned UDFA Sam Shields a Super Bowl ring in his rookie season.
In 2012, Shields took over the starting role at CB when the team moved veteran DB Charles Woodson to safety. In his five year career, Sam has played in 67 games and started in 49 of them. He has 15 regular season interceptions and 5 post season interceptions including two against the Packers’ archrival Bears in the NFC Championship.
But Sam isn’t a one-off example of success in the Undrafted Free Agency. Since Ted Thompson became general manager in 2005, the Packers have the most snaps from undrafted players in the NFL at 77,079, with the next-closest team well behind at 54,105.
So, when training camp arrives, keep a close eye on those UDFAs. Will 2015 be the year another one shines?