Philadelphia Eagles Sign 11 Rookie Free Agents

Hours before the end of the draft, teams around the NFL were on the phones with youngsters who weren’t drafted, and they were in conversations with them trying to convince them that they would have their best chance of making an NFL roster by trying out for their particular team.

In reality it’s better to be a free agent than to be drafted late in the draft, because a free agent can look over the league and decide which team¬† has the roster which gives him the best chance of making the team.

The Philadelphia Eagles were successful in convincing 11 of these rookie free agents to try out for their squad.

Take a look at them and tell me which ones made good decisions to sign with the Birds.¬† Of course I’ll get a look at them this weekend and tell you what I think of them.

Here they are:

DT Charles Alexander (6-4, 300) LSU appeared in 43 career games (29 starts) for LSU, totaling 89 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He started in all 13 games as a senior in 2009, recording 29 tackles, two tackles for a loss and one sack. Attended Breaux Bridge HS (LA), where he was a first-team 4A all-state selection as a senior and was named the District 4-5A Defensive MVP.

WR Blue Cooper (6-2, 185) Tennessee-Chattanooga finished his collegiate career with 152 catches for 1,790 yards and 14 touchdowns. His reception and touchdown totals rank fourth and fifth, respectively, on the school’s all-time lists. A second-team All-Southern Conference selection as a senior in 2009, set career highs in receptions (84), yards (824) and touchdowns (7). Cooper earned all-state honors at Coosa High School (GA) as a quarterback and free safety.

G Zipp Duncan (6-5, 297) Kentucky spent most of his sophomore and junior campaigns at the left guard position, he successfully made the move to left tackle as a senior in 2009, garnering second-team All-SEC honors. He made a string of 39 consecutive starts in 51 career games. Duncan began his college career as a tight end before transitioning to offensive line in 2007.

QB Joey Elliott (6-3, 215) Purdue was a team co-captain as a senior in 2009 in his first year as the starting quarterback, he completed 267 of 433 passes (61.7 percent) for 3,026 yards and 22 touchdowns. Also ran for 268 yards and four touchdowns. He was a three-time Academic All-Big 10 selection. Elliott earned first-team all-state honors as a senior at Harrison HS (IN).

T Austin Howard (6-7, 333) Northern Iowa was originally a tight end at Northern Iowa, he made the switch to left tackle in 2008 and started 25 games, earning second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors following his junior and senior seasons. He also played basketball at UNI during the 2005-06 season, seeing action in five contests as a freshman. A native of Davenport, IA, Howard starred at Central High School, earning second-team all-state honors as a team captain.

WR Kevin Jurovich (6-0, 188) San Jose State amassed a school record 160 receptions for 2,143 yards and 11 touchdowns in his career at San Jose State after making the switch from safety to wide receiver following his sophomore season. He earned second-team All-Western Athletic Conference honors in 2007, setting a school record with 85 receptions for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns.

T Jeraill McCuller (6-6, 328) North Carolina State was a three-year starter at tackle for NC State, he was named the recipient of the 2009 Governor’s Award, given to the member of the team who is the most valuable player based on ability, contribution, leadership and intangibles. Attended Atlantic Shores Christian High School in Chesapeake, VA, where he earned first-team All-State honors, playing both offensive and defensive line and posting 187 tackles and 11 sacks.

CB Josh Morris (5-11, 186) Weber State was a two-year starter at Weber State, he registered seven career interceptions and was awarded first-team All-Conference honors following his junior and senior seasons, in addition to being named an FCS first-team All-American in 2009. Prior to playing at Weber State, attended Northwestern Oklahoma A&M Junior College in 2006 and Ada (OK) High School.

CB David Pender (6-0, 180) Purdue was a three-year starting cornerback at Purdue, he concluded his Boilermaker career with 129 total tackles and three interceptions. An Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection as a junior in 2008, he ranks second all-time in program history with 33 pass breakups. Pender started the final 31 games of his career after moving into the starting lineup as a sophomore.

WR Pat Simonds (6-5, 229) Colgate recorded 171 receptions for 2,797 yards and 29 touchdowns in his four-year career at Colgate. A 2009 Sports Network All-America Third-Team recipient, he broke the program’s single-season touchdown record after hauling in 14 touchdowns in 2009. As a junior in 2008, Simonds finished second in the Patriot League in yards per game (94.7) and third in receptions per game (5.42). A three-year letter winner at Sidney High School (NY), he wrapped up his career with 52 receptions, 1,038 yards and 18 touchdowns.

FB Chris Zardas (6-0, 238) Massachusetts was a first-team CAA All-Conference and New England Football Writers All-Star selection in 2009, he started in 17 of 34 games, finishing his career with 351 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. A two-year starter at fullback, he was the key blocker for a team that tallied seven 100-yard rushing games in 2009. He received Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic team honors as the starting running back at St. John’s Prep (MA).