'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Once the NFL Draft ends, teams can sign players that went undrafted after three days and seven rounds. For the majority of franchises, coaches and front office members start making calls to players in the seventh round, making it known that they are interested in signing them as a free agent if they do not get drafted.
The NFL permits each team a reserve of money to be spent on a rookie draft class, both drafted and undrafted players. That amount is set based on the salary cap and is not commonly revealed to the public.
Since drafting players' contracts and signing bonuses are part of a slotted process, teams will have an overall thought as to how much money they have remaining in the rookie compensation pool to spend on undrafted free agents (UDFA) contracts and signing bonuses.
Be the GM of your favorite team, use our free Mock Draft Simulator with trades
UDFAs base salary is the league minimum, and teams will use bonuses to persuade a player to join their roster. If teams are competing for a player, their signing bonus offers may elevate in line with the market for their services.
Also, since funds for signing bonuses are in short supply, and the competition for players is huge, teams have recently started to present portions of their salary as guaranteed money as a means to get players to sign a deal.
Free-agent calls commence in full force right following the conclusion of the draft and deals commence to get announced a couple of hours at the end of the seventh round. Players are free to begin hammering out contracts with teams the minute the draft comes to a close.
The present Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) states that the NFL has two days to notify the NFLPA after they receive a notice of signing from teams. Deals are typically set in the hours following the draft.
Notable NFL UDFAs
There were players that didn’t get their name called on draft day but went on to have great careers, even Hall of Fame careers. Quarterback Warren Moon went undrafted, but played 17 seasons in the league, 10 of those with the Houston Oliers, and was a nine-time Pro Bowler. He was in inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Next, defensive tackle John Randle played 14 seasons in the NFL, 11 with the Minnesota Vikings and three with the Seattle Seahawks. He had 137.5 career sacks and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.
Recently, linebacker James Harrison played 14 of his 16 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and wasn’t drafted coming out of Kent State. He was the Defensive Player of the Year in the 2008 season with 16 sacks. He also made five Pro Bowls and had 84.5 sacks in his career.
Lastly, quarterback Tony Romo went undrafted coming out of Eastern Illinois but was signed as a UDFA by the Dallas Cowboys in 2003. He started 127 games in his 13 seasons with Dallas, throwing for 34,183 yards and 248 touchdowns. He also made the Pro Bowl four times.
With 2022 UDFAs such as Nevada quarterback Carson Strong, Clemson wide receiver Justyn Ross, and Iowa running back Tyler Goodson, there’s still a chance of a great career in the NFL.
